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Tables of Contents for The Birds of Northern Melanesia
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Introduction
xv
Part I. Northern Melanesia's Physical and Biological Environment
Geology and Geological History
3
7
Plate tectonic history
Volcanism and rocks
Land bridges
Summary
Climate
10
3
Habitats and Vegetation
13
3
Habitats
Taxonomic composition of the vegetation
Summary
Terrestrial Vertebrates Other Than Birds
16
11
Mammals
Amphibia
Reptiles
Comparison of vertebrate classes
Summary
Part II. Human History and Impacts
Human History
27
6
Modern peoples and languages
Prehistory before European exploration
European exploration and modern history
European impacts relevant to bird distributions
Summary
Ornithological Exploration of Northern Melanesia
33
3
Exterminations of Bird Populations
36
11
What bird species may now be extinct in the Bismarcks or Solomons?
What bird species were reported by the first European explorers?
Bird fossils
Susceptibility of Northern Melanesian birds to known mechanisms of extermination
Summary
Part III. The Northern Melanesian Avifauna
Family Composition
47
6
Disproportions between the Northern Melanesian and New Guinean source avifaunas
Disproportions based on a revised classification
Summary
Determinants of Island Species Number
53
9
Species/area relation
Effect of isolation
Montane species
Supersaturation
Summary
Level of Endemism, Habitat Preference, and Abundance of Each Species
62
4
Level of endemism
Habitat preference
Abundance
Summary
Overwater Dispersal Ability of Each Species
66
12
Indicators of dispersal
Formulation of dispersal categories in the Bismarcks and Solomons
Comparison of the types of evidence
Comparison of the Bismarcks and Solomons
Evolution of dispersal ability
Biological correlates of dispersal abilities
Summary
Distributional Ecology
78
15
Number of islands occupied by each species
Species incidences
Differences between the Bismarcks and Solomons in species distributions
Summary
Part IV. Colonization Routes
Proximate Origins of Northern Melanesian Populations
93
14
Endemic subspecies and nonendemic populations
Endemic allospecies
Endemic full species and genera
Summary
Upstream Colonization and Faunal Dominance
107
5
Exchanges Between the New Hebrides and Northern Melanesia
Exchanges Between the Bismarcks and Solomons
Exchanges Between Northern Melanesia and the New Guinea region
Asymmetry ratios
Summary
Ultimate Origins of Northern Melanesian Populations
112
7
Asian immigrants
Old Australian taxa
Other taxa
Total numbers of traceable species
Summary
Part V. Taxonomic Analysis: Differences Among Species
The Problem of Speciation
119
7
What are species?
Speciation
Taxonomic terms
Summary
Stages of Geographic Speciation Among the Birds of Northern Melanesia
126
3
Absence of Geographic Variations
129
8
Factors predisposing to geographic variation, or to its absence
Factors predisposing to lack of geographic variation
Classification of geographically nonvariable species by level of endemism
Summary
Geographic Variation: Subspecies
137
8
The frequency of geographic variation
The variable degree of geographic variation
Effects of vagility and abundance on geographic variation
Interpretation of the effects of vagility and abundance
(Lack of) relation between geographic variability and degree of endemism
The great speciators
Geographic variability of montance species
Summary
Geographic Variation: Megasubspecies
145
8
Examples illustrating the range of geographic variation at the subspecies level
Numbers of megasubspecies
Summary
Geographic Variation: Allospecies
153
10
Allospeciation in Northern Melanesia
Snapshots of colonization
Discussion
Summary
Completed Speciation
163
16
Examples
Data on all cases of completed speciation
Single or multiple achievements of sympatry?
Concordance between taxonomic closeness and geographic overlap
Older and younger invaders
Mechanisms of allopatric speciation
Modes of ecological segregation
Niche differences between older and younger invaders
Does ecological segregation evolve in allopatry or sympatry?
Summary
Appendix: Remaining cases of completed speciation
Hybridization
179
3
Endemic Species and Genera
182
11
Geographic distributions of the endemic full species
Vagility and abundance of endemic full species
Distribution between the Solomons and Bismarks
How did many endemics become so locally distributed?
Habitat preference
Geographic variation
Summary
Part VI. Geographic Analysis: Differences Among Islands
Endemism Index
193
9
Calculation of an endemism index
Interpretation of the endemism index
Volcanically defaunated islands
Land-bridge islands
Summary
Pairwise Differentiation Index
202
7
Examples of the pairwise differentiation index
Geographic barriers in Northern Melanesia
Dependence of the index on island areas and distance
Summary
Pairwise Nonsharing Indices: Differences in Island Species Compositions
209
7
Causes of pairwise differences in island species compositions
Definitions of two indices
Comparisons of the three pairwise indices
Locations of major barriers
Dependence of the nonsharing indices on island distance and areas
Summary
The Establishment of Geographic Isolates
216
2
Interarchipelagal Barriers
218
9
Barrier between Northeast New Guinea and Northern Melanesia
Barriers to the east of Northern Melanesia
Barrier between the Bismarcks and Solomons
Definition of ornithogeographic regions
Summary
Barriers Within the Bismarcks
227
13
Barrier between New Britain and New Ireland
The New Ireland group
The St. Mattihias group
The Northwest Bismarcks
The smaller Bismarck islands
Summary
Barriers Within the Solomons
240
16
The Bukida Group
The New Georgia group
The barrier between the Bukida and New Georgia group
Malaita
San Cristobal
Rennell
The smaller Solomon islands
Summary
Speciation on Fragmented Solomon Islands
256
9
Five consequences of island fission/fusion cycles
Speciation on Greater Bukida
New Georgia Group
Bismarck Pleistocene Islands
Summary
Differential Extinction and Species Occurrences on Fragmented Pleistocene Islands
265
10
Non-water-crossing species on fragments of Greater Bukida
Greater New Britain and New Ireland
Summary
Part VII. Synthesis, Conclusions, and Prospects
Conclusions about Speciation
275
13
The biological species concept
The whole picture of speciation assembled from snapshots
Establishment of primary and secondary isolates
Peripheral isolates
Summary
Species Differences, Taxon Cycles, and the Evolution of Dispersal
288
12
The taxon cycle for Melanesian ants
Habitat shifts during colonization by Northern Melanesian birds
Four evolutionary stages among Northern Melanesian birds
The montance avifauna
Evolutionary changes in dispersal ability
Summary
Promising Directions for Future Research
300
11
Priorities for gathering new data
Improved analyses of area and distance effects
The time scale of speciation
Distributions with complex histories
Comparisons and generalization
Summary
Maps
311
132
Appendices
Appendix 1. Systematic List: Breeding Land and Freshwater Native Birds of Northern Melanesia
363
39
Appendix 2. Nonbreeding Visitors to Northern Melanesia
402
4
Appendix 3. Introduced Bird Species in Northern Melanesia
406
2
Appendix 4. Chronologies of Ornithological Exploration
408
6
Appendix 5. Attributes of Each Bird Species
414
8
Appendix 6. Evidence of Overwater Dispersal Ability of Each Species and Allospecies in the Bismarcks and Solomons
422
9
Appendix 7. Distributions and Origins of Northern Melanesian Bird Populations
431
12
References
443
22
Index
465