Dec. 29, 2010 New research on lizards in the Caribbean
demonstrates that species diversification is limited by the
environment. The finding supports and extends the MacArthur-
Wilson theory of island biogeography. It's long been accepted by
biologists that environmental factors cause the diversity -- or
number -- of species to increase before eventually leveling off.
Some recent work, however, has suggested that species diversity
continues instead of entering into a state of equilibrium. But
new research on lizards in the Caribbean not only supports the
original theory that finite space, limited food supplies, and
competition for resources all work together to achieve
equilibrium; it builds on the theory by extending it over a much
longer timespan. The research was done by Daniel Rabosky of the
University of California, Berkeley and Richard Glor of the
University of Rochester who studied patterns of species
accumulation of lizards over millions of years on the four
Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Hi