L1: Introductory Lecture Flashcards
Who was Alexander Von Humboltd, 1769-1859?
Considered the “father” of phytogeography.
He visited Tenerife in 1799 for a week during which he climbed the Teide peak and made the first known account of the variation of the vegetation along an elevation gradient, recognizing different altitudinal belts, a scheme that is still essentially valid.
Who was Charles Darwin (1809-1882)?
He emphasized importance of long- distance dispersal in biogeographic distribution of species.
1831: 5 year voyage on the Beagle to South America.
Developed the theory of evolution by natural selection; The Origin of Species (1859).
Who was Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913)?
Considered the “father” of zoogeography.
The fossil record provides positive evidence for past migrations of organisms.
Wallace discovered that the faunas on the two sides of this line very different. The line marks a highly dynamic plate boundary (Asian, Australian, Pacific)- reflecting differences in geological history.
Who was Alfred Wegener (1880-1930)?
He developed the theory of plate tectonics and
continental drift.
Plate tectonics has been the most important factor in causing major long term changes in the patterns of distribution of organisms
