The Species-Genus Relationship in Antillean Bat Communities

Authors

Donald A. McFarlane, Claremont McKenna College; Pitzer College; Scripps CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

Biology (CMC), WM Keck Science (CMC), Biology (Pitzer), WM Keck Science (Pitzer), Biology (Scripps), WM Keck Science (Scripps), WM Keck Science

Publication Date

1991

Abstract

The ratio of the number of species to the number of genera in an island community has long been recognised as a potential proxy indicator of competitive interaction. An analysis of this relationship in the bat fauna of the Antillean archipelago demonstrates that the observed species-genus ratios are significantly depressed below null-model expectations, and that the magnitude of this depression is inversely proportional to the log of the appropriate island area. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that interspecific competition may play an important role in structuring Antillean bat communities.

Comments

The final publication is available at www.degruyter.com

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

DOI

10.1515/mamm.1991.55.3.363

Recommended Citation

McFarlane, D.A. (1991). "The species-genus relationship in Antillean bat communities." Mammalia 55(3): 363-370.