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Issue: Vol. 5881 No. 3: 22 Sept. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-09-22
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5881.3.8
Page range: 428-436
Abstract views: 546
PDF downloaded: 17

Natural biogeographic regions of Mexico and Central America: Digital files of historical and modified regionalizations

Departamento de Biología Evolutiva; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; 04510 Mexico City; Mexico
Departamento de Biología Evolutiva; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; 04510 Mexico City; Mexico
Departamento de Biología Evolutiva; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; 04510 Mexico City; Mexico
Departamento de Biología Evolutiva; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; 04510 Mexico City; Mexico
Digital cartography digitalization Mesoamerica regionalization

Abstract

The natural regions of Mexico and Central America proposed by West (1964b) and subsequent modifications by Flores-Villela (1991, 1993) for Mexico have been widely used in anthropological and, particularly, biogeographical and herpetological studies. Despite their continued relevance, these regionalizations have not been previously available in a digital format suitable for modern geographic information systems. We present here the digitalization of both the original and modified cartographies of West’s natural regions as vector shapefiles. Additionally, we provide a comparative framework that relates West’s regionalization and its modifications with a recent biogeographical regionalization of Mexico and Central America. Because the original map was published at a relatively small scale, the boundaries should be considered approximations rather than precise geographic delineations. These resources contribute to the continued use and reinterpretation of a classic regionalization framework in contemporary biogeographical research.

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How to Cite

Ríos-Muñoz, C.A., Amaya-González, N.B., Ochoa-Ochoa, L.M. & Flores-Villela, O.A. (2026) Natural biogeographic regions of Mexico and Central America: Digital files of historical and modified regionalizations. Zootaxa, 5881 (3), 428–436. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5881.3.8