Macroecological correlates of Darwinian shortfalls across terrestrial vertebrates.
Biol Lett
; 20(7): 20240216, 2024 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39046287
ABSTRACT
Most described species have not been explicitly included in phylogenetic trees-a problem named the Darwinian shortfall-owing to a lack of molecular and/or morphological data, thus hampering the explicit incorporation of evolution into large-scale biodiversity analyses. We investigate potential drivers of the Darwinian shortfall in tetrapods, a group in which at least one-third of described species still lack phylogenetic data, thus necessitating the imputation of their evolutionary relationships in fully sampled phylogenies. We show that the number of preserved specimens in scientific collections is the main driver of phylogenetic knowledge accumulation, highlighting the major role of biological collections in unveiling novel biodiversity data and the importance of continued sampling efforts to reduce knowledge gaps. Additionally, large-bodied and wide-ranged species, as well as terrestrial and aquatic amphibians and reptiles, are phylogenetically better known. Future efforts should prioritize phylogenetic research on organisms that are narrow-ranged, small-bodied and underrepresented in scientific collections, such as fossorial species. Addressing the Darwinian shortfall will be imperative for advancing our understanding of evolutionary drivers shaping biodiversity patterns and implementing comprehensive conservation strategies.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Filogenia
/
Vertebrados
/
Biodiversidade
/
Evolução Biológica
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Lett
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Reino Unido