---
OA_type: closed access
_id: '4137'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Why do species have finite ranges in space and time?\r\n\r\nAll species have
    limited ecological distributions, and all species eventually become extinct. At
    the heart of these distributional limits is the idea of trade-offs: a single population
    or species cannot maximize its fitness in all environments (Woodward and Kelly
    2003). Each species therefore occupies a limited range of ecological conditions,
    or a particular period in history, and interacts in complex ways in ecosystems
    consisting of many co-existing species. These interactions may in turn generate
    more specialization (Nosil & Harmon, this volume; Schemske, this volume). However,
    from an evolutionary biology perspective this explanation is incomplete. Populations
    clearly adapt to novel environments in some circumstances, otherwise there would
    be no life on land, no mammals in the ocean, and only a few species on oceanic
    islands such as Hawaii (Wagner & Funk 1995). What processes, therefore, act to
    constrain adaptation to changing environments and continually prevent the expansion
    of species into new habitats at the edge of their range?\r\n\r\nUnderstanding
    the factors that limit the temporal or spatial persistence of species is of key
    practical importance, given ongoing changes in global climate (Root et al. 2003),
    coupled with rapid habitat loss and alteration by the introduction of exotic species
    of parasites, predators and competitors."
alternative_title:
- ' Ecological Reviews'
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Jon
  full_name: Bridle, Jon
  last_name: Bridle
- first_name: Jitka
  full_name: Polechova, Jitka
  id: 3BBFB084-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Polechova
  orcid: 0000-0003-0951-3112
- first_name: Timothy
  full_name: Vines, Timothy
  last_name: Vines
citation:
  ama: 'Bridle J, Polechova J, Vines T. Limits to adaptation and patterns of biodiversity.
    In: R. K. Butlin JR, Bridle J, Schluter D, eds. <i>Speciation and Patterns of
    Diversity</i>. Cambridge University Press; 2009:77-101. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007">10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007</a>'
  apa: Bridle, J., Polechova, J., &#38; Vines, T. (2009). Limits to adaptation and
    patterns of biodiversity. In J. R. R. K. Butlin, J. Bridle, &#38; D. Schluter
    (Eds.), <i>Speciation and Patterns of Diversity</i> (pp. 77–101). Cambridge University
    Press. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007">https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007</a>
  chicago: Bridle, Jon, Jitka Polechova, and Timothy Vines. “Limits to Adaptation
    and Patterns of Biodiversity.” In <i>Speciation and Patterns of Diversity</i>,
    edited by J.R. R. K. Butlin, Jon Bridle, and D. Schluter, 77–101. Cambridge University
    Press, 2009. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007">https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007</a>.
  ieee: J. Bridle, J. Polechova, and T. Vines, “Limits to adaptation and patterns
    of biodiversity,” in <i>Speciation and Patterns of Diversity</i>, J. R. R. K.
    Butlin, J. Bridle, and D. Schluter, Eds. Cambridge University Press, 2009, pp.
    77–101.
  ista: 'Bridle J, Polechova J, Vines T. 2009.Limits to adaptation and patterns of
    biodiversity. In: Speciation and Patterns of Diversity.  Ecological Reviews, ,
    77–101.'
  mla: Bridle, Jon, et al. “Limits to Adaptation and Patterns of Biodiversity.” <i>Speciation
    and Patterns of Diversity</i>, edited by J.R. R. K. Butlin et al., Cambridge University
    Press, 2009, pp. 77–101, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007">10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007</a>.
  short: J. Bridle, J. Polechova, T. Vines, in:, J.R. R. K. Butlin, J. Bridle, D.
    Schluter (Eds.), Speciation and Patterns of Diversity, Cambridge University Press,
    2009, pp. 77–101.
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:07:09Z
date_published: 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-07-02T05:50:01Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511815683.007
editor:
- first_name: J.R.
  full_name: R. K. Butlin, J.R.
  last_name: R. K. Butlin
- first_name: Jon
  full_name: Bridle, Jon
  last_name: Bridle
- first_name: D.
  full_name: Schluter, D.
  last_name: Schluter
extern: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '01'
oa_version: None
page: 77 - 101
publication: Speciation and Patterns of Diversity
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - '9780511815683'
publication_status: published
publisher: Cambridge University Press
publist_id: '1984'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Limits to adaptation and patterns of biodiversity
type: book_chapter
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
year: '2009'
...