Recognition of biotic components is a key element for understanding evolution in space-time. Panbiogeography represents a biogeographic approach that may be applied to identify these biotic components. A revision of the panbiogeographic approach is provided herein, including definitions of basic concepts (individual and generalized tracks, nodes, baselines, and main massings) and methods (manual, connectivity and incidence matrices, track compatibility, and parsimony analysis of endemicity). As an example of this approach, 70 biotic components of Latin America and the Caribbean are identified, briefly characterized, and arranged in a biogeographic system of three regions, seven subregions, and two transition zones. The relevance of the recognition of biotic components and transition zones is discussed.
Biogeography; evolution; Neotropics; nodes; parsimony analysis of endemicity; tracks
