A latitudinal gradient in biodiversity has existed since before the time of the dinosaurs, yet
how and why this gradient arose remains unresolved. Here we review two major hypotheses …

Niche conservatism, the tendency of a species niche to remain unchanged over time, is
often assumed when discussing, explaining or predicting biogeographical patterns …

Estimates of global species diversity have varied widely, primarily based on variation in the
numbers derived from different inventory methods of arthropods and other small …

Aim We surveyed the empirical literature to determine how well six diversity hypotheses
account for spatial patterns in species richness across varying scales of grain and extent …

The evolutionary dynamics underlying the latitudinal gradient in biodiversity have been
controversial for over a century. Using a spatially explicit approach that incorporates not only …

Today, biodiversity decreases from equatorial to polar regions. This is a fundamental pattern
governing the distribution of extant organisms, the understanding of which is critical to …

Most studies examining continental-to-global patterns of species richness rely on the
overlaying of extent-of-occurrence range maps. Because a species does not occur at all …

Although the tropics harbor greater numbers of species than do temperate zones, it is not
known whether the rates of speciation and extinction also follow a latitudinal gradient. By …

Fundamental differences in the distribution of oceans and landmasses in the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres potentially impact patterns of biological diversity in the two areas …

It is widely believed that contemporary climate determines large‐scale patterns of species
richness. An alternative view proposes that species richness reflects biotic responses to …