Why are the Azores an evolutionary mystery?

🌿 The Biodiversity Enigma of the Azores: A Fascinating Evolutionary Singularity 🌍

Dive into the heart of the Azores to explore one of the greatest mysteries of island evolution. Despite their isolation in the middle of the Atlantic, these nine volcanic islands boast a singular biodiversity that defies scientific expectations.

🌱 A Unique Archipelago and its Endemic Species :

Find out why one in three plants in the Azores is endemic. But why is there so little evolutionary radiation here? An enigma that calls into question the classic rules of island biodiversity.

🌿 The Hypotheses Behind the Mystery:

Stable climate: How could an environment with no major climatic variations slow down evolution?

Age of the islands: Do young islands like Pico and old ones like Santa Maria reveal any clues?

Habitat uniformity: Do the Azores lack the ecological diversity to encourage species specialisation?

🌍 A Paradox to Explore:

While other archipelagos such as the Canaries are experiencing an explosion of biodiversity, the Azores offer a fascinating contrast. This video takes you to the heart of this paradox, at the crossroads of ecology, evolution and climate history.

📖 In search of answers :

Between climate, geology and invisible forces, what are the keys to this enigma? Join me on this exploration to lift a corner of the veil on one of nature's greatest mysteries.

In this video, you can find out more about..:

01:22 - Background - An archipelago with unique characteristics

02:44 - Theory 1 - Too stable a climate?

04:17 - Theory 2 - Islands too young?

05:25 - Theory 3 - A lack of ecological diversity?

06:23 - Theory 4 - The impact of the climate past?