[CINC] Scientists question "the island rule"

[Don Abbott]

Hi David,

Thanks for the article.

Like you, I have never seen anything written by CINP that even suggests that
there might be an optimum size for species on the CIs.

However, the article does support CINP's Official Interpretative Message we
in the CINC pass along to CINP visitors.

FYI the following article appeared in National Geographic Magazine a few
years ago.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1027_041027_homo_floresiensi
s.html

Some Food for Thought:  I'm not an expert, but I suspect that limited island
resources explains why the Japanese are smaller in statue than Europeans.


My best,
Don


> From: David Chubb <davidchubb at cox.net>
> Organization: Perfect Puppy Academy
> Reply-To: <davidchubb at cox.net>
> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:33:22 -0700
> To: CINC Rain List Address <channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org>
> Subject: [CINC] Scientists question "the island rule"
> 
>   (I tried to send this several days ago but I don't think it came through.)
> 
> http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/departments/zoology/members/meiri/documents/Raiae
> tal2010onesizedoesnotfitall.pdf
> 
> In this article (One size does not fit all: no evidence for an optimal
> body size on islands) found at the above link, scientists claim to have
> found evidence to refute the island rule, a theory that states species
> that do not face competition will evolve towards a standard optimum body
> size. The scientists use evidence to show this does not actually happen
> on islands.
> 
> Although we have heard reasons for species on the Channel Islands
> evolving to be smaller or larger, I have never heard it attributed to
> this idea of evolving towards a standard optimal size. I did not see the
> island fox, island scrub-jay, or pygmy mammoth listed in this study.
> 
> David Chubb
> 
> 
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