Caribbean Biogeography

Islands make up less than 5% of the earth’s land area, but are home to an estimated 20% of the world’s biodiversity. Centuries of agriculture and development have resulted in major conservation concerns for many islands, and 80% of all known extinctions have occurred on islands. A better understanding of the biodiversity of the islands and the processes that have contributed to its evolution are vital to preserve it for future generations. The Caribbean region has a long history of scientific study on reptiles and plants, but major questions remain about the origin and diversification of the islands’ unique plants and animals. Our research is searching for answers to those questions by analyzing a living fossil: arachnids. This comparative approach is looking at several independent lineages of arthropods inhabiting the Caribbean, all with varying dispersal abilities, in order to test the relative roles of vicariance and dispersal in the formation of new species in the Caribbean.