Faunal and floral migrations and evolution in SE Asia-Australasia: Introduction

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MrrcALFE, Jenrrury M.B. Sturu, MrKn lVlonlvooo ,rNn laru Davruson

A.A. BALKEMA PUBLISHERS I LrssE / AsrNrcooN / Exron

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Faunal and floral migrations and evolution in SE Asia-Australasia / Ian Metcalfe p. cm. Includes bibliographical references,

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ISBN 9058093492 1. Arrimal migration--Asia, Southeastern.2. Plants-Migration-Asia, Southeast Evolution (Biology)--Asia, Southeastem. 4. Animal migration--Australasia. 5. Plants-Migration--Australasia. 6. Evolution (Biology)--Australasia. I. Metcalfe, Ia 1949Q',[,7s4.F38 2001 591 .56',8',0959:dc21

2001

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2001 Swets & Zeitlinger b.v., Lisse

All rights

reserved. No part o.{this publication rnayt be reproduced, stored in a ret transntitted in any .form or by any means, electranic, mechanical, by photocopy,in othervvise, wi.thout the prior written permission of the publishers.

tsBN 90

5BA9 349 2

University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia

Conception of this book'began with a chance meetiag between Ian Metcalfe and son in an Armidale supermarket one Saturday moming in 1998. Ian Metcalfe, the se

had been developing the idea of a University of New England Asia Centre multid conference on biogeography in SE Asia for some time, and Iain Davidson embrdc immediately over a supennarket trolly and plans were laid to obtain some seed fund venture. The conference crystallised when the Asia Centre agreed to provide funds keynote speaker, Prof. Robert Hall, to Armidale for the conference. The intemational conference, Where Worlds Collide:Faunal and

/loral migration

lution in SE Asia-Australasia was held under the auspices of the University of Ne Asia Centre (LNEAC) in Armidale, New South Wales, Austraiia from 29 Novem cember, 1999, and this book contains thirty-one seiected papers out ofthe forty-five

poster papers presented at the conference. The multi-disciplinary conference broug more than 100 scientists from 12 countries including geologists, palaeontologists, botanists, entomologists, evolutionary biologists and archaeoiogists. Australian were from all over Australia and in particular, palaeontological groups from Macqua akin Universities were well represented. The conference was a formal contribution t International Geological Correalation Program Projects 411 Geodynamics of Gon derived Terranes in E & S Asia, and 421 North Gondwana Mid-Palaeozoic biodyna papers and posters were presented by members of these two projects at the meeting.

The multi-disciplinary scientists at the conference examined the geological and history of the SE Asian-Australasian region over the last 540 million years, to relate cal past to its present biological peculiarities. The "colliding worlds" which gave the its title are the various Gondwanaland-derived continental terranes of the region w bled to fom Asia during Carboniferous to Cretaceous times, and present-day Austra naliy attached to Antarctica, and Eurasia into which it has crashed after 40 millio steady northward drift.

The convergence ofttre Australian continent, and Eurasia has brought iato close contrasting faunas and floras. Although some aaimals and plants have succeeded in remaining narrowing seas, many others remain to one or other side of the shrinking neatai gap which is marked by the Wallace Line. To one side are wallabies, p cockatoos; to the other tigers, deer and woodpeckers. The line was first recogn named for, the Victorian travelling naturalist and collector Alfred Russel Waliace known as being co-discoverer with Charles Darwin of the theory of evolution by n tion.

The book is structured into six sections which essentially reflect the sessions of the conference. Section 7 Palaeogeographic Background includes two papers by lan Metcalfe and Robert Hall which provide overviews of the geological and tectonic evolution of SE Asia-Austraiasia, and changing patterns ofland and sea for the last 540 million years. Section 2 Palaeozoic and Mesozoic geology and biogeograpfty contains five papers discussing Palaeozoic and Mesozoic biogeography ofconodonts, brachiopods, plants, dinosaurs and radiolarians and the recognition of ancient biogecgraphic boundaries or "Wallace Lines" in the region. Section 3 Wallace's Line contains six papers that specifically reiate to biogeographic boundary established by Wallace, including the history of its establishment, its significance to biogeography in general and its applicabitity in the context ofmodem biogeography. Section 4 Plant biageography and evolution inciudes papers on primitive angiosperms, the diaspora of the 'southern rushes', and environ-

mental, climatic, and evolutionary impiications of plants and palynomorphs in the region. The biogeography and migration of insects, butterflies, birds, rodents and other non-primate mammals is discussed in the seven papers of Section 5 Non Primates. The final Section 6 Primates focusses otr the biogeographic radiation, migration and evolution of primates and inciudes papers on the occurrence and migration of early hominids and the requirements for human colonisation of Australia.

All papers in thls book have been subject to rigorous intemational peer review by at least two referees in addition to review by the editors. We wouid like to thank the foliowing for their kind assistance with this review process: Jonathan Aitchison, Neil Archbold, Mike Archer, Anthony J. Barber, Henry Barlow, Peter Bellwood, Bill Boyd, Douglas Brandon-Jones, Barbara Briggs, Jeremy Bruhl, David Bullbeck, Clive Burrett, Stephen Carey, Russell L. Ciochon, Joel Cracraft, Rienk de Jong, Roger Farrow, Hugh Ford, Robert Gargett, Henk Godthelp, Colin Groves, Neville Haile, Tom Heinsohn, Jeremy Holloway, Geoff Hope, Peter Jarman, Zerina Johanson, Peter Kershaw, Roger Kitching, Peter Linder, Virginie Millien, Bernard Michaux, Robert Morley, Ralph Molaar, N. Prakash, Tom Rich, John Rigby, Aiex Ritchie John Roberts, Lesley Rogers, Brian Rosen, Andrew Simpson, Peter Stauffer, John Talent, Steve Trewick, Hubert Tumer, Steve Van Dyck, Nigel Wace, Koji Wakita, Moyra Wilson, Yoram Yom-Tov. and Erwin Zodrow. Assoc. Prof. lan Metcalfe Assoc. Prof. Jeremy Smith Assoc. Prof. Mike Morwood Prof. Iain Davidson

(Editors) University of New Engiand Armidale NSW2351 Australia October,2000.