Introduction: While the biodiversity value of springs is recognised, it has not been systematically compiled. The aim current study to highlight extraordinary endemism associated with isolated habitat arid-land at three locations in two continents. Methods: eukaryote species aquatic and terrestrial habitats Ash Meadows USA, Byarri Australia Cuatro Ciénegas Mexico was assembled based on their ge...

Based on comprehensive distributional records of the 23 species currently assigned to the lizard genus Tropidurus, we investigated patterns of endemism and area relationships in South America. Two biogeographic methods were applied, Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) and Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA). Two areas of endemism were detected by PAE: the first within the domains of the semiarid...

Pemba is thought to have had a longer and/or stronger history of isolation than its better-known counterpart, Unguja. The extent to which the biota support this hypothesis of greater oceanicity have been debated. Here, Pemba's terrestrial mollusc ("land-snail") fauna is surveyed and reviewed for the first time. We find at best equivocal evidence for the following hallmarks of greater oceanicity...

I present distribution data of all geckos (Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae and Sphaerodactylidae) known from the Brazilian Amazonia, totaling 19 species, belonging to nine genera. This represents six more taxa than previously reported for these families. Data were based on the direct examination of 23,094 specimens deposited in three North American and eight Brazilian museums. Most species (68.4%)...

Many oceanic islands are notable for their high endemism, suggesting that islands may promote unique assembly processes. However, mainland assemblages sometimes harbour comparable levels of endemism, suggesting that island biotas may not be as unique as is often assumed. Here, we test the uniqueness of island biotic assembly by comparing the rate of species turnover among islands and the mainla...