Insular dwarfism is one aspect of the more general "island effect" or "Foster's rule", which posits that when mainland animals colonize islands, small species tend to evolve larger bodies (island gigantism), and large species tend to evolve smaller bodies.

2000年11月1日 · Claiming "much confusion and contradiction" in the scientific literature over the size of mammals on islands, Foster undertook a survey of 116 insular (island-dwelling) species or subspecies...

2018年7月4日 · Insular dwarfism is a natural process that is distinct from the intentional dwarfing of animals. This form of dwarfism has occurred throughout history affecting animals such as dinosaurs, mammoths, and elephants.

2016年6月17日 · An anthropologist considers island dwarfism and evolution. What is it about islands that makes big creatures turn small?

2025年2月21日 · Island dwarfism refers specifically to the evolutionary process where large animals become smaller due to living on islands. General dwarfism can have various causes, such as genetic conditions like achondroplasia or growth hormone deficiencies.

2021年4月15日 · In a new publication in Nature Ecology and Evolution on April 15, researchers solved this debate by analysing thousands of vertebrate species. They show that the island rule effects are...

2022年11月12日 · However, island dwarfism, also known as insular dwarfism, is not a thing of the past. Raccoons, rabbits, pigs, and even deer all display this trait even now. With a few notable exceptions, even snakes tend to be smaller on islands.

2023年6月19日 · Islands are arenas for a range of striking evolutionary phenomena, including the island rule — the tendency for larger animals to shrink and smaller animals to enlarge. A new study of insular mammals finds such body size shifts predispose these evolutionary marvels to greater extinction risk.

2019年7月13日 · Island gigantism and dwarfism are the names given to two evolutionary processes that happen with plants and animals that live on an island, or islands far from land. It's basically a way for them to survive to their conditions.

Insular Dwarfism is a biological process in which large animals, over time, evolve to be smaller to better suit their environment. This most often happens on islands where food may be in shorter supply (giving smaller animals an advantage) but has also been seen in animals who are genetically cut off from the rest of their species for other ...