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Science 3 March 1978:
Vol. 199. no. 4332, pp. 996 - 998
DOI: 10.1126/science.199.4332.996
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Articles

Supersaturated Island Faunas: A Species-Age Relationship for Lizards on Post-Pleistocene Land-Bridge Islands

BRUCE A. WILCOX 1

1 Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093

Lizard faunas on post-Pleistocene land-bridge islands in the region of Baja California were examined for the effect of island age on species diversity. Species diversity and age are significantly correlated; and when the variation in species diversity attributable to area and latitude are removed, the corrected species diversity plotted against island age produces a relaxation or extinction curve. These results provide evidence for supersaturated faunas which are relaxing to lower levels of species diversity consistent with the equilibrium theory of island biogeography.

Submitted on August 22, 1977
Revised on October 31, 1977


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