DISTRIBUTION OF MAMMALS 



165 



The northern region, comprising Europe, northern Asia, and 

 North America, is called the Holarctic Region. The several 

 land masses which project from it are respectively named the 

 Neotropical or South American Region, the Ethiopian or Afri- 

 can Region, and the Oriental or South Asiatic Region. The 



Fig. 69 — Fanned Regions of the World, showing probable greatest 

 extent of land during the Ice Age (unshaded areas beyond coast lines) 



isolated Australian continent together with New Guinea forms 

 the fifth, the Australian Region. This relationship of the faunal 

 regions is indicated by a map (Fig. 69). 



Some of these regions are divided into two or more subre- 

 gions; for example, the Holarctic consists of the Nearctic or 

 North American, and the Palearctic or Eurasian Subregions. 

 The boundaries of these regions and subregions, unlike those of 

 political areas, are not definite, for animals go wherever they 



