A glacial relict is a population of a species that was common in the Northern Hemisphere prior to the onset of glaciation in the late Tertiary period that was forced by climate change to retreat into Glacial refugium when continental ice sheets advanced.
Examples
There are a wide variety of plant species which fit the category of glacial relict. The ones given here are a small selection of the much larger group.
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A tall deciduous tree genus, Liriodendron, was widespread across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere until the onset of continental glaciations. The genus took refuge in southeast Asia and southeast North America, expanding to occupy today's temperate habitats. The east-west orientation of mountains in Europe is thought to be the geographic barrier that prevented the genus from migrating far enough southward to avoid extinction.
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The biogeography of various aquatic species deemed glacial relicts that are found in Sommen is likely related to a different geography during the early history of the lake. One theory claims that aquatic species were transferred from the Baltic Ice Lake through a natural lock system in connection with a temporary advance of the ice-front during the Younger Dryas.
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The Franklinia ( Franklinia alatamaha) was a glacial relict in the American Southeast and endemic to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia before going extinct in the wild in the early part of the 19th century.
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Examples of other endemic plants in the Southeastern USA which were limited by the same environmental factors include the Florida torreya, the Taxus floridana, and the now-extinct Critchfield spruce.
See also
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Biodiversity hotspot
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Ecological island
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Last Glacial Maximum refugia
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Nunatak hypothesis
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Rapoport's rule
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Relict (biology)
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Sky island
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Wrangel Island (home to last population of )
