Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T23:26:14.670Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

10 - ZOOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE LIZARD FAUNA OF IRAN

from PART 1 - THE LAND

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

By
S. C. Anderson
Edited by
W. B. Fisher
S. C. Anderson
Affiliation:
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
Get access

Summary

INTRODUCTION

An understanding of present distribution patterns of organisms in South-west Asia is essential to any meaningful generalizations concerning biogeography on a world-wide basis. The vast arid physiographically complex tract stretching across all of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and north-western India today forms a barrier to the exchange of faunal elements of tropical and sub-tropical Africa with Europe, south-eastern Asia, and Central Asia. The extent to which communication between these faunas may have existed at various times in the past can be postulated only on the basis of our knowledge of palaeogeography, past climatic conditions, and the distribution of living and fossil organisms.

The area covered by this paper is delimited by the political boundaries of Iran, which might be regarded as one of the most geographically complex areas of South-west Asia, and is centrally located with respect to the mingling of elements of the North African, southern Asian, Central Asian and European herpetofaunas (Anderson, 1963).

While many systematic problems remain on all levels, it is nonetheless possible to make a few generalizations regarding the zoogeography of South-west Asia, and Iran in particular. Thus far no zoogeographic analysis of the whole of South-west Asia has been attempted, and only the most cursory remarks on the zoogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Iran have been published (Blanford, 1876; Wettstein, 1951; Anderson, 1964). In this report an effort is made to answer in the broadest sense the following questions: (1) What are the major distributional patterns? (2) What are the historical origins of these patterns?

Keywords

descriptive zoogeographyecological zoogeographyIranian Plateauand historical zoogeographylizard fauna
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge History of Iran , pp. 305 - 371
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1968

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, , 1963. “Amphibians and reptiles from Iran.” Proc. California Acad. Sci. ser. 4, vol. XXXI.Google Scholar
Anderson, , 1966. “A review of the genus Opbiomorus.” Proc. California Acad. Sci. ser. 4, vol. XXXIII.Google Scholar
Anderson, , 1966a. “A substitute name for Agama persica Blanford.” Herpetologica, vol. XXII.Google Scholar
Anderson, , 1966b “The lectotype of Agama isolepis Boulenger.” Herpetologica, vol. XXII.Google Scholar
Anderson, S. C. and Leviton, A. E. 1966a. “A new species of Eublepbaris from south-western Iran(Reptilia: Gekkonidae).” Occ. Pap. California Acad. Sci. no. 53.Google Scholar
Banta, B. H. 1961. “Herbivorous Feeding of Phrynosoma platyrhinos on southern Nevada.” Herpetologica, vol. XVII.Google Scholar
Blanford, W. T. 1876. Eastern Persia, an Account of the Journeys of the Persian Boundary Commission, 1870–1872, vol. II. The Zoology and Geology. London (Macmillan).
Bobek, H. 1951. “Die nartürlichen Wälder und Gehölzfluren Irans.” Bonn. Geog. Abb. vol. VIII.Google Scholar
Bobek, H. 1952. “Beiträge zur Klima-ökologischen Gliederung Irans.” Erdkunde, vol. VI.Google Scholar
Bobek, H. 1963. “Nature and implications of Quaternary climatic changes in Iran.” In: UNESCO. Changes of climate; Proceedings of the Rome Symposium organised by UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organisation. Arid Zone Res. vol. xx.Google Scholar
Böckh, H., Lees, G. M. and Richardson, F. D. S. 1929. “Contribution to the stratigraphy and tectonics of the Iranian ranges.” In: Gregory, J. W. (ed.), The Structure of Asia. London (Methuen).Google Scholar
Bodenheimer, F. S. 1937a. “The zoogeography of the Sinai Peninsula.” Comptes Rendus XII Congrés International Zoologie, Lisbonne 1935, vol. II.Google Scholar
Bodenheimer, F. S. 1937b. “Prodromus Faunae Palaestinae. Essai sur les éléments zoogeographiques et historiques du sudouest du sous-regne paléarctiques.” Mém. Inst. Egypt, vol. XXXIII.Google Scholar
Bodenheimer, F. S. 1938. “On the presence of an Irano-Turanian relic fauna in North Africa.” Mém. Soc. Biogeographie, vol. VI.Google Scholar
Butzer, K. W. 1956. “Late glacial and postglacial climatic variation in the Near East.” Erdkunde, vol. XI.Google Scholar
Butzer, K. W. 1958a. “Quaternary stratigraphy and climate in the Near East.” Bonner Geogr. Abb..Google Scholar
Cowles, R. B. and Bogert, C. M. 1944. “A preliminary study of the thermal requirements of desert reptiles.” Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. vol. LXXXIII.Google Scholar
Furon, R. 1941. “Géologiedu plateau iranien.” Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, n.s., vol. VII, 8 pls., 1 col. map.Google Scholar
Haas, G. 1952a. “Remarks on the origin of the herpetofauna of Palestine.” Rev. Fac. Sci. Univ. Istanbul, ser. B, vol. XVII.Google Scholar
Haas, G. 1957. “Amphibians and reptiles from Arabia.” Proc. California Acad. Sci. ser. IV, vol. XXIX.Google Scholar
Heptner, W. G. 1945. “Desert and steppe fauna of palearctic region and centres of its development.” Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou, Sect. Biol. vol. L.Google Scholar
James, G. A. and Wynd, J. G. 1965. “Stratigraphic nomenclature of the Iranian Oil Consortium Agreement Area.” Bull. American Assoc. Petr. Geol. vol. XLIX.Google Scholar
Kraus, E. B. 1958. “Meteorological aspects of desert locust control.” In: Climatology and Micro-climatology. Proceedings of the Canberra Symposium, UNESCO.Google Scholar
Lay, D. M. 1966. A Study of the Mammals of Iran resulting from the Street Expedition of 1962–63. Fieldiana: Zoology (in Press).
Loveridge, A. and Ernest, E. W. 1957. “Revision of the African tortoises and turtles of the suborder Cryptodira.” Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harvard, vol. CXV, pls. 1“18.Google Scholar
Mason, K. (ed.). 1945. Persia. Geographical Handbook Series, B.R. 525, xix + 638 pp.
Mayhew, W. W. 1963. “Temperature preferences of Sceloporus orcutti.” Herpetologica, vol. XVIII.Google Scholar
Mayhew, W. W. 1964. “Photoperiodic responses in three species of the lizard genus Uma.” Pan-Pacific Engomologist, vol. XL, and reprinted in Herpetologica, vol. XX.Google Scholar
Mayhew, W. W. 1965a. “Growth response to photoperiodic stimulation in the lizard Dipsosaurus dorsalis.” Comp. Biochem. Physiol. vol. XIV.Google Scholar
Mayhew, W. W. 1965a. “Hibernation in the horned lizard, Phrynosoma m'calli.” Comp. Biochem. Physiol. vol. XVI.Google Scholar
Merterns, Robert . 1952. “Amphibien und Reptilien aus Türkei.” Rev. Fac. Sci. Univ. Istanbul, vol. XVIIB.Google Scholar
Minton, Sherman A. Jr. 1962. “An annotated key to the amphibians and reptiles of Sind and Las Bela, West Pakistan.” American Mus. Novitates, no. 2081.Google Scholar
Minton, Sherman A., Anderson, S. C. and Anderson, J. A. “Remarks on some geckoes from South-west Asia, with descriptions of two new forms.” Occ. Pap. California Acad. Set. (in Press).
Misonne, X. 1959. “Analyse zoogéographique des mammiféres de l'lran.” Mém. Inst. Roy. Sci. Nat. Belgique, ser. 11, no. 59, 3 pls., 97 maps following text.Google Scholar
Murray, J. A. 1884. The Vertebrate Zoology of Sind. London and Bombay, woodcuts and pls. (not seen).
Nairn, A. E. N. (ed.). 1961. Descriptive Palaeoclimatology. New York (Inter-science Publishers), xi + 380 pp.
Rechinger, K. H. 1951. “Grundzüge der Pflanzenverbreitung im Iran.” Verb, zool.-boot. Ges. Wien, vol. XCII.Google Scholar
Romer, A. S. 1956. Osteology of the Reptiles. Chicago, xxi + 772 pp.
Schmidt-Nielsen, K. 1959. “The physiology of the camel.” Scientific American, vol. cci.Google Scholar
Schwarzbach, M. 1963. Climates of the Past. ( Nostrand, D. ) London, xii + 328 pp. (translated and edited by Richard, O. Muir ).
Shapley, H. (ed.). 1953. Climatic Change. (Harvard University Press) Cambridge, xii + 318 pp.
Sobolevskic, N. I. 1929. “The herpetofauna of the Talysh and of the Lenkoran lowland.” Mem. Soc. Amis Sci. Nat. Anthrop. Ethnog., Sec. Zool. vol. V, (In Russian, English summary.)Google Scholar
Stamp, L. Dudley (ed.). 1961. A History of Land Use in Arid Regions. UNESCO, Paris.
Taylor, E. H. 1935. “A taxonomic study of the cosmopolitan scincoid genus Eumeces.” Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. vol. XXIII, pls 1–43.Google Scholar
Walter, H. and Lieth, H. 1960. Klimadiagram–Weltatlas. Gustav Fischer, Jena. (Looseleaf, pages issued at irregular intervals.)
Wettstein, O. von . 1951. “Ergebnisse der Österreichischen Iran-Expedition 1949/1950, Amphibien und Reptilien. Versuch einer tiergeographischen Gliederung Irans auf Grund der Reptilienverbreitung.” Sitzb. Österr. Akad. Wiss. Wien. Math.-naturw. vol. CLX.Google Scholar
Wilson, A. T. Sir 1932. Persia. London, xvi + 400 pp.
Zeuner, F. E. 1959. The Pleistocene Period. London (Hutchinson and Co. Ltd), xviii + 447 pp.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×