Open AccessLong distance dispersal, overland migration and extinction in the shaping of tropical African floras
Author(s) -
F. White
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
bothalia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.457
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 2311-9284
pISSN - 0006-8241
DOI - 10.4102/abc.v14i2.1184
Subject(s) - biological dispersal , ecology , extinction (optical mineralogy) , biology , geography , taxon , paleontology , population , demography , sociology
The distribution, ecology, probable modes of dispersal and taxonomic relationships of five species of Chrysobalanaceae and one of Meliaceae and Hernandiaceae are summarized. Most of these show trans-oceanic disjunctions and, in Africa, behave as ecological and chorological transgressors; morphologically they are variable. The potential importance of transgressors in the origin of new species and of evolutionary innovations, and in the interpretation of disjunctions is discussed.