The evolution of terrestrial faunas in the western Indian Ocean

Since 1966 a considerable volume of interest and attention has been focused on the island of Aldabra, which lies about 600 km north of Madagascar (see Stoddart 1968). A result of this stimulus has been a series of publications, both scientific and popular, assigning a wide variety of biological attributes to the island. There have been, however, very few attempts to review the available data on the biota of Aldabra and other islands in the western Indian Ocean. At present, information regarding Aldabra stems largely from the investigations of J. C. F. Fryer 1911, when he was a member of the Percy Sladen Expedition in 1908- 9. Supplementary data are available from other more limited expeditions: a summary of these earlier works has been provided by Stoddart & Wright (1967). Results from the recent Royal Society Expeditions are gradually becoming available, but there are and there will be delays in providing information regarding certain taxonomic groups. This can be attributed to the absence of competent taxonomists and the difficulties of undertaking taxonomic revisions of island forms when the biota of surrounding areas is not adequately known.