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WALLACE’S LINE:
BIOGEOGRAPHY & EVOLUTION
Name: _________________________
Read the article written by Jared Diamond, Mr. Wallace’s Line from the August 1997
issue of Discover magazine. The map was comes from The Song of the Dodo by David
Quammen.
1. The article mentions six biogeographical realms or regions. In the blanks provided on
the map, identify the two realms to the northwest and southeast of the Malay
Archipelago.
2. The animals that characterize these two realms are quite different. Identify the
general categories of mammals found in each, and give some common examples of
the specific mammals and birds found in each.
3. Contrast the peoples of Borneo and New Guinea.
4. Contrast the forest communities of Borneo and New Guinea, making sure to including
information on the trees, pollinating species, and species involved in seed dispersal
(the fruit eaters).
5. Draw in “Wallace’s Line” on the map of the Malay Archipelago. Then, lightly and
neatly use one color to highlight the islands to the west of this line.
6. Describe the geographical variable and the historical events most important in
explaining the existence of “Wallace’s Line”.
7. Using the knowledge from your answer to the previous question and information
contained in the lines existing on the map, hypothesize which of the islands east of
Wallace’s Line are members of the Wallacea Islands, and use second color to
highlight those islands. Use a third color to highlight the remaining islands.
8. What is the general character of the fauna (animals) inhabiting the Wallacea islands?
Are the endemic animals Asian? Australian? What common characteristic unifies
these animals?
9. Describe present and previous barriers are important to understanding the
distribution of some species across the North American continent (Nearctic Realm).
10. Tim Flannery and Jonathan Kingdon hypothesize the importance of the Malay
Archipelago in the development of modern humans. Describe their hypothesis.
11. How does the biogeography of the Malay Archipelago and the biogeographical
realms support Darwin’s (and Wallace’s) theory of evolution by natural selection?