A unique natural laboratory for the study of evolution, the Hawai'ian islands contain among the greatest proportion of endemic species anywhere in the world. Formed over a geologic hot spot, they are arranged linearly from oldest to youngest. This book compares the biogeographic patterns of many of the archipelago's species - various flowering plants, birds, spiders, and insects - with its known geological history. The first detailed biogeographic study of Hawaiian organisms, this book summarises the geologic features relevant to the island biogeography and uses phylogenies to discuss theories of evolution. Presenting new data and analyses, the evolutionary theories provided here could be applied to other insular areas, including the Galapagos Islands, Caribbean islands, and the Florida Keys.
All royalties from this book will be donated to the National Tropical Garden, Kana'i, Hawai'i.