Article
Article
- Anthropology & Archeology
- Anthropology
- Madagascan primates
DISCLAIMER: This article is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at last review, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information.
Madagascan primates
Article By:
Godfrey, Laurie R. University of Massachusetts, Anthropology Department, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Last reviewed:2005
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB050900
The fauna and flora of Madagascar, Africa's Great Red Island, can be described as fitting what botanist Quentin C. B. Cronk recently called the “diversity and stability paradox” of island biogeography. The diversity paradox is that, despite the existence of numerous unique island taxa (whose loss would drastically impact the taxonomic diversity of represented groups), the actual species diversity (or richness) of island biota is typically low in comparison with that of like-sized continental landmasses. The stability paradox is that, although island flora and fauna may appear to be stable (as many of the taxa are ancient in origin), they are highly susceptible to rapid change and decimation, particularly when subjected to human colonization.
The content above is only an excerpt.
for your institution. Subscribe
To learn more about subscribing to AccessScience, or to request a no-risk trial of this award-winning scientific reference for your institution, fill in your information and a member of our Sales Team will contact you as soon as possible.
to your librarian. Recommend
Let your librarian know about the award-winning gateway to the most trustworthy and accurate scientific information.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information