Realm Key Characteristic Iconic Example Nearctic North America Bison and maple forests Palearctic Eurasia and North Africa Snow leopards and boreal forests Neotropical Central and South America Amazon rainforest diversity Afrotropical Sub-Saharan Africa Savannas and primates Indomalayan South and Southeast Asia Tigers and tropical forests Australasian Australia and New Guinea Marsupials and unique flora Oceanian Pacific islands Island endemism Antarctic Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands Marine mammals and lichens The Neotropical and Afrotropical Realms The Neotropical realm is arguably the most biodiverse region on the planet. These realms are determined by distinct geological histories, climate regimes, and the presence of specific biotic provinces.
Distinct Regions and Shared Evolutionary Histories Defining Biogeographic Realms
These large-scale patterns form the foundation of biogeographic realms , the broadest units used to categorize the distribution of the world's ecosystems and organisms. The Concept and Historical Development The formal study of biogeography seeks to answer why specific species live where they do.
Understanding these realms is essential for grasping how geography, climate, and deep time have shaped the planet's biodiversity. The ancient connection of South America to Antarctica and subsequently to North America via the Isthmus of Panama dramatically reshaped its biological composition through the Great American Interchange.
Distinct Regions and Shared Evolutionary Histories Defining Biogeographic Realms
The concept of a biogeographic realm emerged from the work of 19th and early 20th-century naturalists who observed sharp transitions in flora and fauna across continents and oceans. Over millions of years, isolated populations diverge, leading to unique assemblages of life that define each realm.
More About Biogeographic realms
Looking at Biogeographic realms from another angle can help expand the discussion and give readers a second clear paragraph under the same section.
More perspective on Biogeographic realms can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
