The organization of life on Earth – from the tiniest flora to colossal fauna , from the oceans to the desert to the frozen tundra – may be governed by one simple rule. That’s the conclusion of a recent study investigating how species are dispersed across the floating rock we call home.

In every corner of the planet, the researchers find, the majority of species cluster together in small “hotspot” areas. The further out you go from these hubs, the fewer species you find.

“This pattern suggests that life on Earth may be, to some extent, predictable,” co-author of the study Joaquín Calatayud said in a statement .

And that’s a good thing. This predictability helps us to better understand life on Earth: we can use it to figure out how species have diversified throughout history, and it c

See Full Page