Abstract
AS the most western land of the great Eurasian continent, Ireland is of peculiar interest. It, like Great Britain, stands on the Continental shelf and is surrounded by a mere film of water as compared with the oceanic depths prevailing to the west. Floral and faunal movement has been chiefly east to west. The opposite has been rare, as suggested by such organisms in the British Isles which are restricted in area, and have a range, often discontinuous, which suggest relict rather than insipient distribution. They would appear to be mostly broken-up remnants of past invasions rather than the first colonies of new species destined to push eastward.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Relations of the Flora and Fauna of Ireland to those of other Countries*. Nature 143, 863–864 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/143863a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/143863a0