Overview
In this book, twelve specialists present current views on the biogeographical history of the region between Asia and Australia. The contemporary Malay archipelago arose from the collision of Gondwanaland and Laurasia in the mid-Tertiary period, but new evidence about the northward drift of land fragments and the presence of many organisms suggest earlier north-south contact. Recently discovered fragments could have provided island stepping-stones and may explain otherwise enigmatic plant and animal distributions. The contributors to this monograph, all experts in their fields, discuss the implications of these findings, and explore unresolved problems of biogeographical reconstruction. These collected works mark a significant step in our understanding of the formation of the region and will be an invaluable resource for biologists and biogeologists.