Question

Describe the two patterns Wilson observed regarding the distribution of ants on Melanesian islands.

Answer 1

Answer:

human invasions and expansion/contraction cycles during glacial-interglacial periods

Explanation:

In 1961, the biologist Edward Osborne Wilson studied the distributional, behavioral and morphological characteristics of ants living in the Melanesian archipelago. After his study, Wilson then proposed a hypothesis to explain the biogeographic dynamics of Melanesian ants which has been referred to as the 'taxon cycles'. Taxon cycles are defined by stages of expansion and contraction in the range of distribution of species combined with evolutionary adaptive changes in their ecological niches. These cycles can be represented by historical processes of invasion that resemble human invasions. In the last years, it has been shown that Wilson's hypothesis is supported by predictions obtained by modern methodologies for investigating taxon cycles (i.e., evolutionary phylogenetic methods).