New Zealand-Caribbean

[Geoff Read]

> I don't think it matters whether the comment was 'off the cuff' or not. The
> statement showed that he was not familiar with standard biogeographic patterns,

John Grehan reckons a NZ-Caribbean [actually Gulf of Mexico] pattern  "is
not all that much of a curiosity as many taxa  [on land?] have representatives
in the Western Pacific and the New World."  Assuming the pattern really
exists for these marine creatures too I suppose we should be grateful he
allows it is a little bit curious. There is only the inconvenience of that large
chunk of land called the Americas in the way of  deepwater populations
maintaining continuity.

My understanding is that the current distribution of organisms on earth, and
in the sea, is the result of  a myriad of factors. Advancement of our
knowledge of the events and influencing factors will gradually occur on a
case by case basis with the application of improved techniques to gain new
data. The doctrinaire constructs of somebody's "standard biogeographic
patterns" won't play much part in that process.  Sure there's room and a
niche for people, the synthesizers, who enjoy  attempting  to reduce the real
world to simple schemas, but others prefer to explore the many complexities
of it all, and thus are willing to be uncertain of  explanations to fit cases until
enough data is in.

Cheers,






--
  Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.co.nz>
  http://www.annelida.net/