Islands have long been recognized as distinctive evolutionary arenas leading to
morphologically divergent species, such as dwarfs and giants. We assessed how body size …

Islands are or have been occupied by unusual species, such as dwarf proboscideans and
giant rodents. The discussion of the classical but controversial island rule—which states that …

Island faunas can be characterized by gigantism in small animals and dwarfism in large
animals, but the extent to which this so-called 'island rule'provides a general explanation for …

The arrival of modern humans into previously unoccupied island ecosystems is closely
linked to widespread extinction, and a key reason cited for Pleistocene megafauna …

Invasive mammals on islands pose severe, ongoing threats to global biodiversity. However,
the severity of threats from different mammals, and the role of interacting biotic and abiotic …

Aim Island taxa often attain forms outside the range achieved by mainland relatives. Body
size evolution of vertebrates on islands has therefore received much attention, with two …

Abstract Despite islands contributing only 6.7% of land surface area, they harbor~ 20% of
the Earth's biodiversity, but unfortunately also~ 50% of the threatened species and 75% of …

Global biodiversity loss is disproportionately rapid on islands, where invasive species are a
major driver of extinctions. To inform conservation planning aimed at preventing extinctions …

The island rule describes a graded trend in insular populations of vertebrates from gigantism
in small species to dwarfism in large species. The dwarfing of large mammals on islands has …

Explanations for the extinction of Late Quaternary megafauna are heavily debated, ranging
from human overkill to climate change, disease and extraterrestrial impacts. Synthesis and …