Oct. 24-26, 2009, Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center, Peking University, Beijing, China中文版

Darwin and Biogeography

Jun Wen

Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution

Abstract

Charles Darwin stated at the very beginning in the Origin of Species “When on board H. M. S. Beagle as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the organic beings inhabiting South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent. These facts, as well be seen in the latter chapters of this volume, seemed to throw some light on the origin of species…” The observations and comparisons he made on the South American continent and on the Galapagos Islands stimulated him about descent with modifications and its mechanisms. He dedicated two of the 15 chapters of the Origin to geographical distribution (chapters 12 and 13). In this talk, I review geographic distribution as the strong evidence for Darwin’s theory of descent with modifications. Darwin acknowledged the importance of migration from one part of the world to another, the climatical changes, and the many means of dispersal in shaping up modern geographic distribution patterns rather than separate creations. I also review the revolutions in biogeography since Darwin, and advances of historical biogeographic methods. I discuss several case studies in biogeography, emphasizing the diversification of Darwin’s finches and intercontinental disjunct plants, as well as geographic centers of diversification.

Jun Wen

Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution

Biography

Research Scientist and Curator, Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution.
Research Interests:  Biogeography of intercontinental disjunct plants; biogeography of Asia.