Wallace Line

News: The Wallace Line is in news due to recent research shedding new light on the complex biogeographical patterns of Southeast Asia and Australia.

About Wallace Line

• The Wallace Line is a faunal boundary line which seperates the ecozones of Asia and Australia.
• It was identified by British explorer Alfred Russel Wallace in 1863 during his explorations.
• It is an imaginary boundary line that intersects the Lombok Strait between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok to the south, and extends north through the Makassar Strait between Kalimantan (Borneo) and Sulawesi.
• This line is important because it divides animals that belong to Asia on one side and Australia on the other.
• On the west side of the line (near Asia), animals like orangutans, tigers, and rhinos live. On the east side (near Australia), animals like tree-kangaroos and the Komodo dragon are found.
• While the Wallace Line is a barrier for terrestrial species, it doesn’t stop marine life.
• The area around the Wallace Line, known as Wallacea, is a biodiversity hotspot.
• Understanding the Wallace Line helps scientists learn more about how animals evolved and spread across the world.