Foster's rule
[ faw-sterz rool, fos-terz ]
nounBiology.
a theory asserting that members of a species will evolve into smaller or larger versions of themselves depending on available land area and resources as well as predator populations: Foster’s rule explains the phenomena of insular dwarfism and insular gigantism.
Origin of Foster's rule
1Named in 1964 after J. Bristol Foster (born 1936), Canadian biologist
- Also called is·land ef·fect, is·land rule .
Words Nearby Foster's rule
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Browse