Evolutionary Biogeography: An Intergrative Approach With Case Studies

Rather than favoring only one approach, Juan J. Morrone proposes a comprehensive treatment of the developments and theories of evolutionary biogeography. Evolutionary biogeography uses distributional, phylogenetic, molecular, and fossil data to assess the historical changes that have produced current biotic patterns. Panbiogeography, parsimony analysis of endemicity, cladistic biogeography, and phylogeography are the four recent and most common approaches. Many conceive of these methods as representing different "schools," but Morrone shows how each addresses different questions in the various steps of an evolutionary biogeographical analysis.

Panbiogeography and parsimony analysis of endemicity are useful for identifying biotic components or areas of endemism. Cladistic biogeography uses phylogenetic data to determine the relationships between these biotic components. Further information on fossils, phylogeographic patterns, and molecular clocks can be incorporated to identify different cenocrons. Finally, available geological knowledge can help construct a geobiotic scenario that may explain how analyzed areas were put into contact and how the biotic components and cenocrons inhabiting them evolved. Morrone compares these methods and employs case studies to make it clear which is best for the question at hand. Set problems, discussion sections, and glossaries further enhance classroom use.

Emphasizing basic concepts, methods, and empirical examples, Juan J. Morrone provides an introduction to evolutionary biogeography, which uses distributional, phylogenetic, molecular and fossil data to assess the historical changes that have produced current biotic patterns. Morrone's book is the first to propose a comprehensive treatment of the developments and theories of evolutionary biogeography (rather than being partisan to only one approach), comparing available methods and discussing the appropriate time to use them. Case studies make it clear to students and scholars which method is best for the question they might answer.

Panbiogeography, parsimony analysis of endemicity, cladistic biogeography, and phylogeography are four recent and most commonly used biogeographic approaches. Many conceive of these methods as representing different "schools," but Morrone shows that they are able to address different questions in the various steps of an evolutionary biogeographical analysis. Panbiogeography and parsimony analysis of endemicity are useful for identifying biotic components or areas of endemism. Cladistic biogeography uses phylogenetic data to determine the relationships between these biotic components. Further information on fossils and molecular clocks can be incorporated to identify different cenocrons, and finally, available geological knowledge can help construct a geobiotic scenario that may explain how analyzed areas were put into contact and how the biotic components and cenocrons inhabiting them evolved.