About the "Western Palearctic" (1 Viewer)

[Gonçalo Elias]

Hi,

(not sure if this is the right Forum to post this question, if not please let me know which one would be more appropriate)

I am trying to understand who was the first person / author to define the region we call "Western Palearctic".

According to Wikipedia, "The Palaearctic region has been recognised as a natural zoogeographic region since Sclater proposed it in 1858."

However, the division into Eastern and Western Palearctic appears much later. The first volume of BWP was published in 1977 and uses this expression in the title "The Birds of the Western Palearctic", but I am not certain that this work was the first to use it.

Any idea if the expression was used before BWP and by whom?

 

[Paul Chapman]

I am away from my books but from memory, this is covered in the introduction to Birds of the Western Palearctic.

All the best

Paul

 

[jurek]

I never heard of 'the Western Palearctic' used before BWP.

 

[l_raty]

Henry Eeles Dresser, in 1871-1881, published A history of the birds of Europe, including all the species inhabiting the Western Palæarctic Region.

Details - A history of the birds of Europe : including all the species inhabiting the western palaearctic region - Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.

www.biodiversitylibrary.org

The limits he adopted for the region are described in the introduction of the first volume (which was actually published last -- i.e., in 1881 -- and acts mainly as a general index to the rest of the work) :

v.1 (1871-1881) - A history of the birds of Europe - Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Biodiversity Heritage Library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.

www.biodiversitylibrary.org

 

[Gonçalo Elias]

Thanks!