Endemism

Endemism is the state of being a species found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere.^[1] For example, the Cape sugarbird is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be endemic to that particular part of the world.^[2] An endemic species can also be referred to as an endemism or in scientific literature as an endemite.

The extreme opposite of an endemic species is one with a cosmopolitan distribution, having a global or widespread range.^[1]

A rare alternative term for a species that is endemic is "precinctive", which applies to species (and other taxonomic levels) that are restricted to a defined geographical area.^[3] Other terms that sometimes are used interchangeably, but less often, include autochthonal, autochthonic, and indigenous, however, these terms do not reflect the status of a species that specifically belongs only to a determined place.

^ ^a ^b Morrone, Juan J. (2008). Encyclopedia of Ecology. Vol. 3 (2 ed.). Elsevier. pp. 81–86. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-63768-0.00786-1.
^ Riley, Adam (13 December 2011). "South Africa's endemic birds". 10,000 Birds. Adam Riley. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
^ Encyclopedia of Entomology. Dordrecht: Springer. 2004. doi:10.1007/0-306-48380-7_3391. ISBN 978-0-306-48380-6.

[Morrone2008-1] Morrone, Juan J. (2008). Encyclopedia of Ecology. Vol. 3 (2 ed.). Elsevier. pp. 81–86. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-63768-0.00786-1.

[2] Riley, Adam (13 December 2011). "South Africa's endemic birds". 10,000 Birds. Adam Riley. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

[Entomology-3] Encyclopedia of Entomology. Dordrecht: Springer. 2004. doi:10.1007/0-306-48380-7_3391. ISBN 978-0-306-48380-6.

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