Bergmann's rule

proper noun

The ecogeographic principle that, within a broadly distributed taxonomic clade, populations and species of larger size are found in colder environments, and species of smaller size are found in warmer regions.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. The ecogeographic principle that, within a broadly distributed taxonomic clade, populations and species of larger size are found in colder environments, and species of smaller size are found in warmer regions.

Origin

Named after Carl Bergmann, 19th-century German biologist.

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Cite this entry
APA

Bergmann's rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bergmann's%20rule

MLA

“Bergmann's rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bergmann's%20rule. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bergmann's rule,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bergmann's%20rule.

Source: Bergmann's rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.