12
R. K. DELL
be confhed to the islands of the Scotia Arc and part of the Antarctic
Peninsula, there being no littoral to speak of exposed in the rest of the
Antarctic Continent (what little there is will be highly specialized and
largely confined to a crevice biota). This is not quite so vital in regard
to the algae, but some of the animals cited as characteristic of the
Antarctic Province are unfortunately chosen, to say the least. Even
Powell’s remarks on the molluscan fauna of South Georgia, and cited
by Knox, refer to the fauna as a whole, deep-water forms as well as
littoral species.
Andriashev (1965) discussed Nybelin’s scheme and although allowing that more recent work has borne out the distinctions between East
and West Antarctica, and that these are significant and at present inexplicable, does not believe that the distinction between the High and
Low Antarctic Regions can be maintained. South Georgia has some
elements of endemism and some negative features and thus merits
some degree of biogeographic subdivision, but not at the level of a
separate Region or Subregion.
Andriashev attempted a synthesis of previous work in the light of
the additional distributional evidence available. The following were
included in Andriashev’s Glacial Subregion of the Antarctic Region.
1. Continental Province (= High Antarctic Region of Nybelin).
Includes the South Shetland and South Orkney Islands.
A. East Antarctic District.
B. West Antarctic District.
2. South Georgia Province
The Kerguelen Subregion included Marion, the Crozets, Kerguelen,
Heard and Macquarie Islands. Andriashev’s description, “ They have
an impoverished, mosaic fauna of an insular type with a considerable
percentage of local endemism ”, seems to sum up the situation of this
area very aptly.
Kusakin (1 967) working with isopods proposed divisions essentially
similar to those of Andriashev except for different usages of category
names, i.e. ‘‘ subregions ” and “ provinces ”. The evidence available
to him forced a subdivision of the Antarctic Continent into Pacific
Ocean (or Ross) and Indian (or Davis) districts. Kusakin also restricted
West Antarctica to Graham Land together with the South Shetland
and South Orkney Islands. In his figure showing his proposed Antarctic
biogeographical divisions Kusakin includes sections of the Weddell and
Bellingshausen Seas so that his view of East Antarctica is essentially
identical with that used by the writer in the present work.
Kott (1969a, p. 194) adopts a classification based upon a study of
R. K. DELL
be confhed to the islands of the Scotia Arc and part of the Antarctic
Peninsula, there being no littoral to speak of exposed in the rest of the
Antarctic Continent (what little there is will be highly specialized and
largely confined to a crevice biota). This is not quite so vital in regard
to the algae, but some of the animals cited as characteristic of the
Antarctic Province are unfortunately chosen, to say the least. Even
Powell’s remarks on the molluscan fauna of South Georgia, and cited
by Knox, refer to the fauna as a whole, deep-water forms as well as
littoral species.
Andriashev (1965) discussed Nybelin’s scheme and although allowing that more recent work has borne out the distinctions between East
and West Antarctica, and that these are significant and at present inexplicable, does not believe that the distinction between the High and
Low Antarctic Regions can be maintained. South Georgia has some
elements of endemism and some negative features and thus merits
some degree of biogeographic subdivision, but not at the level of a
separate Region or Subregion.
Andriashev attempted a synthesis of previous work in the light of
the additional distributional evidence available. The following were
included in Andriashev’s Glacial Subregion of the Antarctic Region.
1. Continental Province (= High Antarctic Region of Nybelin).
Includes the South Shetland and South Orkney Islands.
A. East Antarctic District.
B. West Antarctic District.
2. South Georgia Province
The Kerguelen Subregion included Marion, the Crozets, Kerguelen,
Heard and Macquarie Islands. Andriashev’s description, “ They have
an impoverished, mosaic fauna of an insular type with a considerable
percentage of local endemism ”, seems to sum up the situation of this
area very aptly.
Kusakin (1 967) working with isopods proposed divisions essentially
similar to those of Andriashev except for different usages of category
names, i.e. ‘‘ subregions ” and “ provinces ”. The evidence available
to him forced a subdivision of the Antarctic Continent into Pacific
Ocean (or Ross) and Indian (or Davis) districts. Kusakin also restricted
West Antarctica to Graham Land together with the South Shetland
and South Orkney Islands. In his figure showing his proposed Antarctic
biogeographical divisions Kusakin includes sections of the Weddell and
Bellingshausen Seas so that his view of East Antarctica is essentially
identical with that used by the writer in the present work.
Kott (1969a, p. 194) adopts a classification based upon a study of