Tropical Forest Structure and the Distribution of Gliding and Prehensile-Tailed Vertebrates

摘要: Prehensile tails and gliding have arisen only in certain taxonomic groups which could occur on continents as a result of biogeographic history, e.g., no marsupials Africa or flying squirrels the Neotropics. However, simultaneous occurrence these adaptations number unrelated vertebrate families some regions but not others, even when same are present, parallel appearance characters ecological equivalents belonging to different orders (e.g., Manis Tamandua; Potos Arctictis; Anomalurus, Petaurista, Schoinobates, Cynocephalus) suggests that patterns more than chance. Empirical evidence forest structures parts world correlated with modes locomotion by arboreal vertebrates. We suggest scarcity lianas tropical Asia favors long-distance strategy gliding; high liana frequency ...