What can we learn from studying areas of endemism defined by Hawaiian Carabidae (Coleoptera)?

Areas of endemism—the congruent geographical distributions exhibited by two or more taxa—have traditionally been the basis for understanding allopatric speciation. More recently, richness of particular areas has been incorporated into conservation planning. Revisionary systematics of Hawaiian carabid beetles are shown to produce abundant information relevant to both of these uses, but also to some topics less well explored. For example, comparing areas of endemism among Hawaiian Islands of different ages strongly suggests that extinction strongly impacts radiations long before the islands fully senesce. In addition, comparing geographic variation of various species across differently-aged islands provides clues regarding the evolutionary changes associated with speciation.