refugium

noun

re·​fu·​gi·​um ri-ˈfyü-jē-əm 

plural refugia ri-ˈfyü-jē-ə 

: an area of relatively unaltered climate that is inhabited by plants and animals during a period of continental climatic change (such as a glaciation) and remains as a center of relict forms from which a new dispersion and speciation may take place after climatic readjustment

Examples of refugium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The findings in this paper are broadly consistent with the idea that Spain was a refugium, and so one of the sources of the population of Northern Europe. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2010

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, refuge

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above