Insular Dwarfism

Insular dwarfism, a form of phyletic dwarfism, is the process and condition of the reduction in size of large animals over a number of generations when their population's range is limited to a small environment, primarily islands. This natural process is distinct from the intentional creation of dwarf breeds, called dwarfing. This process has occurred many times throughout evolutionary history, with examples including dinosaurs, like Europasaurus, and modern animals such as elephants and their relatives. This process, and other "island genetics" artifacts, can occur not only on traditional islands, but also in other situations where an ecosystem is isolated from external resources and breeding. This can include caves, desert oases, isolated valleys and isolated mountains ("sky islands"). Insular dwarfism is one aspect of the more general "island rule", which posits that when mainland animals colonize islands, small species tend to evolve larger bodies, and large species tend to evolve smaller bodies.

Read more about Insular Dwarfism:  Possible Causes of Insular Dwarfism, Dwarfism Versus Gigantism, Factors Influencing The Extent of Dwarfing, Famous Examples, Additional Examples

Famous quotes containing the word insular:

    They are a curious mixture of Spanish tradition, American imitation, and insular limitation. This explains why they never catch on to themselves.
    Helen Lawrenson (1904–1982)