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Phoenix666 writes:

The general picture about Amazonia is that the rain forest is rather uniform, but large rivers form dispersal barriers that limit species distribution and trigger speciation, i.e. the evolutionary formation of new species. An international team led by researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, has identified a 1,000-kilometre-long boundary between two geological formations that constrains plant species occurrences more effectively than a large river.

"This boundary intrigued us, because it is so long. It is clearly visible in satellite images even though superficially the rainforests on both sides look similar. We decided to find out if there are floristic differences across the boundary, because the result would have a great impact on how we interpret Amazonian biogeography," explains Docent Hanna Tuomisto, who led the study.

The geographical barrier, which comprised different soil types, cut across rivers. The finding could lead to greater understanding of what drives species diversity in the Amazon.

Original Submission