Editing Island (section)

==== The island rule ====

[[File:Dronte dodo Raphus cucullatus.jpg|alt=A plaster and wax model of a large bird with a beak.|thumb|The extinct [[Dodo]] is an example of island gigantism.]]

Species endemic to islands show a common evolutionary trajectory. [[Foster's rule]] (also known as the island rule), states that small mammals such as [[rodents]] evolve to become larger, known as [[island gigantism]]. One such example is the [[giant tortoise]] of the [[Seychelles]], though it is unknown if it grew in size before or after reaching the island. Larger animals such as the [[hippopotamus]] tend to become smaller, such as in the case of the [[pygmy hippopotamus]]. This is known as [[insular dwarfism]].<ref name=":30">{{Cite web |last=Tyson |first=Peter |date=November 1, 2000 |title=Gigantism & Dwarfism on Islands |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/gigantism-and-dwarfism-islands/ |access-date=July 13, 2024 |website=www.pbs.org |language=en-US}}</ref> In the case of smaller animals, it has been hypothesized that animals on islands may have fewer [[predators]] and competitors, resulting in selection pressure towards larger animals. Larger animals may exhaust food resources quickly due to their size, causing [[malnutrition]] in their young, resulting in a selection pressure for smaller animals that require less food. Having fewer predators would mean these animals did not need not be large to survive.<ref name=":30" />