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Matthew’s (1915) climate and evolution, the “New York School of Biogeography”, and the rise and fall of “Holarcticism”

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Abstract

Climate and evolution (Matthew, 1915) represents an important contribution to evolutionary biogeography, that influenced several authors, notably Karl P. Schmidt, George S. Myers, George G. Simpson, Philip J. Darlington, Ernst Mayr, Thomas Barbour, John C. Poynton, Allen Keast, Léon Croizat, Robin Craw, Michael Heads, and Osvaldo A. Reig. Authors belonging to the “New York School of Zoogeography” –a research community including Matthew, Schmidt, Myers and Simpson– accepted Matthew’s “Holarcticism” (north temperate centers of origin) and the permanence of ocean basins and continents, whereas others, especially panbiogeographers and cladistic biogeographers, were extremely critical and reacted against these ideas. “Holarcticism” has been falsified and rejected by dispersalists and the “New York School of Zoogeography” disappeared in the 1970s. Matthew, however, continues being identified by panbiogeographers and cladistic biogeographers as a key representative of classic dispersalism, helping provide some cohesion to their research communities.

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I thank Malte Ebach and an anonymous reviewer for useful comments that greatly helped improve the manuscript.

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    Juan J. Morrone

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Morrone, J.J. Matthew’s (1915) climate and evolution, the “New York School of Biogeography”, and the rise and fall of “Holarcticism”. HPLS 44, 15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40656-022-00500-3

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