The "refugial hypothesis" explains the diversity of plant and animal species in the Amazon rain forest by suggesting that forested areas broke up into patches separated by savannas during the Quaternary geological period, and that speciation occurred in the resulting isolated environments. Validation of the hypothesis has been sought in a number of disciplines, including geology, geomorphology, climatology, palynology, and linguistic studies. Professor Sternberg will conduct a critical analysis of relevant literature from the standpoint of biogeography to determine which facets of the refugial hypothesis are supported by accumulated evidence and which must be questioned as unsupported or inaccurate interpretations. Inasmuch as the refugial hypothesis was an important consideration in the selection of conservation regions in Amazonia, his work will be of major practical and policy interest in addition to being theoretically meaningful.
