Cosmopolites
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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Cosmopolites
in biology, species, genera, families, or larger groups of animals or plants that inhabit the whole (or almost the whole) earth.
Strictly cosmopolitan species of animals or plants do not seem to exist. Examples of the highest-ranking cosmopolites are the cereal family, Gramineae, and the bird order Passeriformes. The opposite of cosmopolites are endemics, plants or animals that are found only in limited territories.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.