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This chapter discusses the role of the concept of endemism in biogeography and biodiversity investigations. Endemic areas are the building blocks of biogeography; relationships among them form the basis of biogeographical classification. This classification is a hierarchy incorporating increasingly encompassing areas, such as districts, regions, and realms, which form biotic areas. The concept of an endemic area, the area occupied by a lineage through time, is related to an area of endemism, an area occupied by at least two purportedly monophyletic taxa—at least two, because an area occupied by just one taxon will have no history shared with any other area.

This chapter discusses the role of biotic areas in biogeography. A biotic area consists of homologous area relationships expressed by more than one monophyletic group that inhabits a common place and/or a designated endemic area. Relationships among biotic areas are recognized as area homologs and area monophyly. An area homolog is the smallest unit of meaningful cladistic relationship among areas. The chapter illustrates methods for discovering area homologies and area monophyly. Area homology is found by comparing area homologs among endemic areas to discover area monophyly or geographical congruence. Area homology, or area monophyly, is discovered when different areagrams are compared and their area homologs corroborate those of other areagrams.

Epidemiological data did not actually demonstrate a clear statistical correlation between a household's lack of an individual water connection or sewerage and the likelihood that household members would be infected with schistosomiasis. Studies of exposure behavior at canals within the built-up areas of the village showed that groups of males and females occupied separate sites on the canal banks and carried out gender distinct tasks. Women had their own good reasons for continuing domestic activities in village canals. Exploration of the scientific knowledge about schistosomiasis in Egypt, and in other endemic areas, indicated that an understanding of gendered human behavior was not built into biomedical or epidemiological studies. Environmental control is essentially preventive, and requires collaboration between the MOH and various other government ministries concerned with irrigation, agriculture, and water supply.