Why are so many unique plants and animals found on the Hawaiian Islands?
Why are so many unique plants and animals found on the Hawaiian Islands? The plant and animal life of the Hawaiian archipelago is the result of early, very infrequent colonizations of arriving species and the slow evolution of those species—in isolation from the rest of the world's flora and fauna—over a period of at least 5 million years.
What animal is unique in Hawaii?
The Hawaiian Monk seal ('ilio holo i ka uaua) is found only in Hawai?i, with most of the population frequenting the remote, nearly uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Monk Seals are critically endangered, and are the second rarest seal species on earth (their Mediterranean cousins own that distinction).
Why are island species so unique?
Because isolation is a driver of speciation, island species display an astonishing variety of traits. Biodiversity, or the number of different species in a certain area, bolsters ecosystem resilience and is a key component of the intrigue and beauty of nature.
Why does Hawaii have so many unique species?
Due to its extreme isolation and climactic conditions, Hawaii is characterized by high levels of endemism in both its native animals and plants, with over 10,000 species found nowhere else on earth.