Review article

Evolutionary strategies in insular environments

Luis Vicente ; Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Fac. Ciencias Univ. Lisboa, C2-P3, Campo Grande, P–1700 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract

This paper is divided into two parts: classic knowledge on theory of island biogeography (I) and the evolution of behaviour and morphology under insular constraints (II).
The main subjects dealt with are: the problem of small populations (1); the biological definition of an island and the importance of biological studies on islands (2); the species-area effect and its consequences for a nature conservation strategy (3); the equilibrium theory and the weaknesses of this model (4); the founder principle (5); some features of insular populations, such as clutch size, niche enlargement and changes in body size (6); the natural history of colonisation and the success and failure of colonisation (7); the morphological paradigm of island faunas (8) and the evolution of social behaviour under insular constraints – territoriality, altruism, social structure and its relationships with body shape (9).

Keywords

evolution; islands; morphology; ecology; behaviour; Berlenga

Hrčak ID:

54858

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/54858

Publication date:

30.9.1999.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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