biogeography
Americannoun
noun
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The scientific study of the geographic distribution of plant and animal life. Factors affecting distribution include the geologic history of a region, its climate and soil composition, and the presence or absence of natural barriers like deserts, oceans, and mountains. Biotic factors such as interactions among competing species, coevolutionary influences, and the reproductive and nutritional requirements of populations and species are also studied.
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◆ A biogeographic region is a large, generally continuous division of the Earth's surface having a distinctive biotic community. Biogeographic regions are usually defined separately for floral and faunal communities and are largely restricted to the terrestrial areas of the Earth.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of biogeography
Vocabulary lists containing biogeography
Evolutionary Biology - High School
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Evolutionary Biology - Middle School
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Evolutionary BIology - Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This is the first time that we've been able to quantitatively examine the biogeography before and after a mass extinction event," explains Prof. Sallan.
From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026
This research was part of his doctoral dissertation at Brown University with Dov Sax, a professor of biogeography and biodiversity and coauthor on the paper.
From Science Daily • Dec. 18, 2023
“It was a phenomenon that while classically invoked in ecology and biology and biogeography, we never really expect to see in a human lifetime.”
From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2023
But such studies can be hard to publish in prominent journals, which favor studies of ecology, biogeography, or conservation.
From Science Magazine • Feb. 8, 2023
Naturally, the notion that environmental geography and biogeography influenced societal development is an old idea.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
