Why are there some animals found in different parts of the world?

Answer 1

Considering that your question is why the some of the same species of animal can be found on separate continents or land masses, there are many answers. For instance, migration, resettlement, and enviromental factors can contribute. However, the answer that most people do not come up with is plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is strictly related to geology, but it did influence animal life. If you have heard of Pangea, the large and single land mass before the continents drifted apart, it makes matters quite simple.

Alfred Wegener (pronounced VAY-gen-ir), a German meteorologist, was the first to discover the ancient continent. Even though this sounds off topic, it is his evidence that answers your question.

Wegener had looked at maps, and puzzled over why plants in Africa and South America could also be found in Antarctica. Fossil samples of long dead dinosaurs were found on Africa that were the same as those of South America. The answer was this-- as the plates separated Pangea into our seven continents, the animals moved with these continents.

Another reason is the introduction of foreign animals into a different country or habitat, often with a purpose. Mostly, what this does is disrupt the indigenous population and the ecosystem. Australia is famous for their meddlesome and hated cane toads, but cane toads aren't native-- they were brought overseas by cane farmers that wanted to get rid of the chief destroyer of their crops-- the cane beetle. Instead of helping the deterioration of the crops, they became pests instead of helpers. You can find cane toads in other regions, as well as Australia. Hawaii also had a problem with their slugs, and people brought mangrove slugs to get rid of them, hoping that the new slug with wipe out the old slug. It did this, and more-- it began to destroy plants and harm animals. It eventually had to be exterminated, but some may still survive there today.