Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
PLoS One. 2020 Jun 25;15(6):e0235267. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235267. eCollection 2020.
Biogeographic regions are defined by taxa with similar distribution patterns. Flowering plants have been widely used to propose biogeographic regionalization schemes because of shared historical or ecological factors that determine their distribution. The Mexican Transition Zone represents the boundary between the Nearctic and Neotropical kingdoms; however, there is no general agreement about the limits and extent of this region. Despite the significance of its role in the history of Mexican biota, no study involving a set of relevant plant taxa validates the magnitude of the Mexican Transition Zone. This work attempts to determine the proportion of flowering plant families and genera that characterize the biogeographic kingdoms and the Mexican Transition Zone. Through identification of distinctive genera it is shown that the Mexican Transition Zone includes the mountains of Mexico, from Oaxaca northwards. The results provide a broad view of the distribution patterns of the flora of Mexico and allow the evaluation of relationships and floristic affinities.
生物地理区域是由分布模式相似的分类群定义的。由于共同的历史或生态因素决定了它们的分布，开花植物被广泛用于提出生物地理区划方案。墨西哥过渡带是新北界和新热带王国的边界；然而，对于这个地区的界限和范围并没有普遍的共识。尽管它在墨西哥生物区系的历史上具有重要意义，但没有一项涉及一套相关植物分类群的研究验证了墨西哥过渡带的重要性。这项工作试图确定表征生物地理王国和墨西哥过渡带的开花植物科和属的比例。通过识别独特的属，表明墨西哥过渡带包括从瓦哈卡州向北的墨西哥山脉。研究结果提供了墨西哥植物区系分布模式的广泛视角，并允许评估关系和植物区系亲缘关系。
