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Bergstrom BJ, Scruggs SB, Vieira EM. Tropical savanna small mammals respond to loss of cover following disturbance: A global review of field studies. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1017361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-mammal faunas of tropical savannas consist of endemic assemblages of murid rodents, small marsupials, and insectivores on four continents. Small mammals in tropical savannas are understudied compared to other tropical habitats and other taxonomic groups (e.g., Afrotropical megafauna or Neotropical rainforest mammals). Their importance as prey, ecosystem engineers, disease reservoirs, and declining members of endemic biodiversity in tropical savannas compels us to understand the factors that regulate their abundance and diversity. We reviewed field studies published in the last 35 years that examined, mostly experimentally, the effects of varying three primary endogenous disturbances in tropical savanna ecosystems—fire, large mammalian herbivory (LMH), and drought—on abundance and diversity of non-volant small mammals. These disturbances are most likely to affect habitat structure (cover or concealment), food availability, or both, for ground-dwelling small mammalian herbivores, omnivores, and insectivores. Of 63 studies (included in 55 published papers) meeting these criteria from the Afrotropics, Neotropics, and northern Australia (none was found from southern Asia), 29 studies concluded that small mammals responded (mostly negatively) to a loss of cover (mostly from LMH and fire); four found evidence of increased predation on small mammals in lower-cover treatments (e.g., grazed or burned). Eighteen studies concluded a combination of food- and cover-limitation explained small-mammal responses to endogenous disturbances. Only two studies concluded small-mammal declines in response to habitat-altering disturbance were caused by food limitation and not related to cover reduction. Evidence to date indicates that abundance and richness of small savanna mammals, in general (with important exceptions), is enhanced by vegetative cover (especially tall grass, but sometimes shrub cover) as refugia for these prey species amid a “landscape of fear,” particularly for diurnal, non-cursorial, and non-fossorial species. These species have been called “decreasers” in response to cover reduction, whereas a minority of small-mammal species have been shown to be “increasers” or disturbance-tolerant. Complex relationships between endogenous disturbances and small-mammal food resources are important secondary factors, but only six studies manipulated or measured food resources simultaneous to habitat manipulations. While more such studies are needed, designing effective ones for cryptic consumer communities of omnivorous dietary opportunists is a significant challenge.
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Taylor PJ, Strydom E, Richards L, Markotter W, Toussaint DC, Kearney T, Cotterill FPD(W, Howard A, Weier SM, Keith M, Neef G, Mamba ML, Magagula S, Monadjem A. Integrative taxonomic analysis of new collections from the central Angolan highlands resolves the taxonomy of African pipistrelloid bats on a continental scale. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Ten years ago, the genus-level and species-level taxonomy of African pipistrelloid bats was in a state of flux. In spite of advances in the past decade, gaps in collecting from species-rich regions like Angola have hampered efforts to revise this group. We report on new collections of pipistrelle-like bats from the poorly sampled central highlands of Angola (1000–1500 m a.s.l.) as well as comparative material from lower-lying areas of Eswatini and South Africa. Specimens identified as Neoromicia anchietae, collected 400–700 km east of the holotype locality in the western highlands of Angola, were genetically and morphologically distinctive from N. anchietae s.l. from South Africa and Eswatini. We describe herein this latter lineage as a distinct species from low-lying areas of south-eastern Africa, distinct from N. anchietae s.s., which is therefore restricted to the central and western Angolan highlands. We also identified shallow to deep genetic divergence between different African regions in other recognized pipistrelloid species, such as conspecificity between the long-eared species Laephotis angolensis from Angola and Laephotis botswanae from northern Botswana, northern Namibia and south-western Zambia. Our phylogeny supports a recently proposed generic classification of African pipistrelloid bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter John Taylor
- Afromontane Research Unit & Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State , Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866 , South Africa
- School of Mathematical & Natural Science, University of Venda , Thohoyandou, 0950 , South Africa
- Wild Bird Trust, National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project , 27 Wolfridge Road, Hogsback 5721 , South Africa
| | - Erika Strydom
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria , Pretoria 0002 , South Africa
| | - Leigh Richards
- Durban Natural Science Museum , P.O. Box 4085, Durban 4000 , South Africa
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria , Pretoria 0002 , South Africa
| | - Dawn Cory Toussaint
- School of Mathematical & Natural Science, University of Venda , Thohoyandou , 0950, South Africa
- Wild Bird Trust, National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project , 27 Wolfridge Road, Hogsback 5721 , South Africa
| | - Teresa Kearney
- Ditsong Natural History Museum , Pretoria 0002 , South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria , Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria , South Africa
| | - F P D (Woody) Cotterill
- Wild Bird Trust, National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project , 27 Wolfridge Road, Hogsback 5721 , South Africa
- Geoecodynamics Research Hub, c/o Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch , Private Bag X1 Matieland, 7602, Stellenbosch , South Africa
| | - Alexandra Howard
- Afromontane Research Unit & Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State , Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866 , South Africa
| | - Sina Monika Weier
- Afromontane Research Unit & Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State , Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866 , South Africa
- School of Mathematical & Natural Science, University of Venda , Thohoyandou, 0950 , South Africa
- Wild Bird Trust, National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project , 27 Wolfridge Road, Hogsback 5721 , South Africa
| | - Mark Keith
- Wild Bird Trust, National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project , 27 Wolfridge Road, Hogsback 5721 , South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria , South Africa
| | - Gӧtz Neef
- Wild Bird Trust, National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project , 27 Wolfridge Road, Hogsback 5721 , South Africa
| | - Mnqobi L Mamba
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini , Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni , Eswatini
| | - Siphesihle Magagula
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini , Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni , Eswatini
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria , Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria , South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini , Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni , Eswatini
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Denys C, Jacquet F, Kadjo B, Missoup AD, Aniskine V, de Bellocq JG, Soropogui B, Douno M, Sylla M, Nicolas V, Lalis A, Monadjem A. Shrews (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla) from a biodiversity hotspot, Mount Nimba (West Africa), with a field identification key to species. ZOOSYSTEMA 2021. [DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Denys
- Institut de Systématique, évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles UMR 7205, case postale 51, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France)
| | - François Jacquet
- Institut de Systématique, évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles UMR 7205, case postale 51, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France)
| | - Blaise Kadjo
- Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie – UFR Biosciences-Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Côte d'Ivoire)
| | - Alain Didier Missoup
- Zoology Unit, Laboratory of Biology and Physiology of Animal Organisms, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, POBox 24157 Douala (Cameroon)
| | - Vladimir Aniskine
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr 33, 117071 Moscow (Russia)
| | - Joelle Goüy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Research Facility Studenec, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno (Czech Republic)
| | - Barré Soropogui
- Projet de Recherche sur les Fièvres Hemorragiques en Guinée, C.H.U. Donka, 5680 Conakry (Guinea)
| | - Mory Douno
- Centre de Gestion de l'Environnement des monts Nimba et Simandou (CEGENS), ministère de l'Environnement des Eaux et Forêts (Guinea)
| | - Morlaye Sylla
- Centre d'études et de Recherches sur les Petits Animaux, Université Gamal Abdel Nasser, 2580 Conakry (Guinea)
| | - Violaine Nicolas
- Institut de Systématique, évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, UMR 7205, case postale 51, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) ;
| | - Aude Lalis
- Institut de Systématique, évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, UMR 7205, case postale 51, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) ;
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswatini & Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria (South Africa)
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Mahmoudi A, Kryštufek B, Sludsky A, Schmid BV, DE Almeida AMP, Lei X, Ramasindrazana B, Bertherat E, Yeszhanov A, Stenseth NC, Mostafavi E. Plague reservoir species throughout the world. Integr Zool 2021; 16:820-833. [PMID: 33264458 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plague has been known since ancient times as a re-emerging infectious disease, causing considerable socioeconomic burden in regional hotspots. To better understand the epidemiological cycle of the causative agent of the plague, its potential occurrence, and possible future dispersion, one must carefully consider the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological requirements of reservoir-species in relation either to natural or human-driven changes (e.g. climate change or urbanization). In recent years, the depth of knowledge on species taxonomy and species composition in different landscapes has undergone a dramatic expansion, driven by modern taxonomic methods such as synthetic surveys that take into consideration morphology, genetics, and the ecological setting of captured animals to establish their species identities. Here, we consider the recent taxonomic changes of the rodent species in known plague reservoirs and detail their distribution across the world, with a particular focus on those rodents considered to be keystone host species. A complete checklist of all known plague-infectable vertebrates living in plague foci is provided as a Supporting Information table.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Mahmoudi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Urmia University, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Alexander Sludsky
- Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute «Microbe», Saratov, Russian Federation
| | - Boris V Schmid
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Xu Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Eric Bertherat
- Department of Infectious Hazard Management, Health Emergencies Programme, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aidyn Yeszhanov
- M.Aikimbaev's National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ehsan Mostafavi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
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Abstract
Ecotourism can fuel an important source of financial income for African countries and can therefore help biodiversity policies in the continent. Translocations can be a powerful tool to spread economic benefits among countries and communities; yet, to be positive for biodiversity conservation, they require a basic knowledge of conservation units through appropriate taxonomic research. This is not always the case, as taxonomy was considered an outdated discipline for almost a century, and some plurality in taxonomic approaches is incorrectly considered as a disadvantage for conservation work. As an example, diversity of the genus Giraffa and its recent taxonomic history illustrate the importance of such knowledge for a sound conservation policy that includes translocations. We argue that a fine-grained conservation perspective that prioritizes all remaining populations along the Nile Basin is needed. Translocations are important tools for giraffe diversity conservation, but more discussion is needed, especially for moving new giraffes to regions where the autochthonous taxa/populations are no longer existent. As the current discussion about the giraffe taxonomy is too focused on the number of giraffe species, we argue that the plurality of taxonomic and conservation approaches might be beneficial, i.e., for defining the number of units requiring separate management using a (majority) consensus across different concepts (e.g., MU—management unit, ESU—evolutionary significant unit, and ECU—elemental conservation unit). The taxonomically sensitive translocation policy/strategy would be important for the preservation of current diversity, while also supporting the ecological restoration of some regions within rewilding. A summary table of the main translocation operations of African mammals that have underlying problems is included. Therefore, we call for increased attention toward the taxonomy of African mammals not only as the basis for sound conservation but also as a further opportunity to enlarge the geographic scope of ecotourism in Africa.
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Padial JM, De la Riva I. A paradigm shift in our view of species drives current trends in biological classification. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:731-751. [PMID: 33368983 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Discontent about changes in species classifications has grown in recent years. Many of these changes are seen as arbitrary, stemming from unjustified conceptual and methodological grounds, or leading to species that are less distinct than those recognised in the past. We argue that current trends in species classification are the result of a paradigm shift toward which systematics and population genetics have converged and that regards species as the phylogenetic lineages that form the branches of the Tree of Life. Species delimitation now consists of determining which populations belong to which individual phylogenetic lineage. This requires inferences on the process of lineage splitting and divergence, a process to which we have only partial access through incidental evidence and assumptions that are themselves subject to refutation. This approach is not free of problems, as horizontal gene transfer, introgression, hybridisation, incorrect assumptions, sampling and methodological biases can mislead inferences of phylogenetic lineages. Increasing precision is demanded through the identification of both sister relationships and processes blurring or mimicking phylogeny, which has triggered, on the one hand, the development of methods that explicitly address such processes and, on the other hand, an increase in geographical and character data sampling necessary to infer/test such processes. Although our resolving power has increased, our knowledge of sister relationships - what we designate as species resolution - remains poor for many taxa and areas, which biases species limits and perceptions about how divergent species are or ought to be. We attribute to this conceptual shift the demise of trinominal nomenclature we are witnessing with the rise of subspecies to species or their rejection altogether; subspecies are raised to species if they are found to correspond to phylogenetic lineages, while they are rejected as fabricated taxa if they reflect arbitrary partitions of continuous or non-hereditary variation. Conservation strategies, if based on taxa, should emphasise species and reduce the use of subspecies to avoid preserving arbitrary partitions of continuous variation; local variation is best preserved by focusing on biological processes generating ecosystem resilience and diversity rather than by formally naming diagnosable units of any kind. Since many binomials still designate complexes of species rather than individual species, many species have been discovered but not named, geographical sampling is sparse, gene lineages have been mistaken for species, plenty of species limits remain untested, and many groups and areas lack adequate species resolution, we cannot avoid frequent changes to classifications as we address these problems. Changes will not only affect neglected taxa or areas, but also popular ones and regions where taxonomic research remained dormant for decades and old classifications were taken for granted.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Padial
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th St., New York, NY, 10024, U.S.A.,Department of Biology, Bronx Community College, City University of New York, 2155 University Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10453, U.S.A
| | - Ignacio De la Riva
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, 28006, Spain
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Linden B, Dalton DL, Ralph TMC, Silva I, Kotze A, Taylor PJ. Adding another piece to the southern African Cercopithecus monkey phylogeography puzzle. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1835534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Birthe Linden
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- SARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change, School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- Lajuma Research Centre, Louis Trichardt, South Africa
| | - Desiré L Dalton
- Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Taryn MC Ralph
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Isabel Silva
- Center for Research and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Lurio University, Pemba, Mozambique
| | - Antoinette Kotze
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
- Genetics Department, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Peter J Taylor
- SARChI Chair on Biodiversity Value and Change, School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Ferguson AW. On the role of (and threat to) natural history museums in mammal conservation: an African small mammal perspective. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.20028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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A phylogeny for African Pipistrellus species with the description of a new species from West Africa (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPipistrelloid bats are among the most poorly known bats in Africa, a status no doubt exacerbated by their small size, drab brown fur and general similarity in external morphology. The systematic relationships of these bats have been a matter of debate for decades, and despite some recent molecular studies, much confusion remains. Adding to the confusion has been the recent discovery of numerous new species. Using two mitochondrial genes, we present a phylogeny for this group that supports the existence of three main clades in Africa: Pipistrellus, Neoromicia and the recently described Parahypsugo. However, the basal branches of the tree are poorly supported. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we describe a new species of Pipistrellus sp. nov. from West Africa, which has been cited as Pipistrellus cf. grandidieri in the literature. We demonstrate that it is not closely related to Pipistrellus grandidieri from East Africa, but instead is sister to Pipistrellus hesperidus. Furthermore, the species Pi. grandidieri appears to be embedded in the newly described genus Parahypsugo, and is therefore better placed in that genus than in Pipistrellus. This has important taxonomic implications, because a new subgenus (Afropipistrellus) described for Pi. grandidieri predates Parahypsugo and should therefore be used for the entire “Parahypsugo” clade. The Upper Guinea rainforest zone, and particularly the upland areas in the south-eastern Guinea—northern Liberia border region may represent a global hotspot for pipistrelloid bats and should receive increased conservation focus as a result.
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Everything mammal conservation biologists always wanted to know about taxonomy (but were afraid to ask). J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Monadjem A, Shapiro JT, Richards LR, Karabulut H, Crawley W, Nielsen IB, Hansen A, Bohmann K, Mourier T. Systematics of West African Miniopterus with the Description of a New Species. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.2.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
| | - Julie T. Shapiro
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, Gainesville FL, 32611, USA
| | - Leigh R. Richards
- Durban Natural Science Museum, PO Box 4085, Durban, 4000, Republic of South Africa
| | - Hatice Karabulut
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Wing Crawley
- 53 Rosebank Crescent, Exeter, Devon EX4 6EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ida Broman Nielsen
- Centre for GeoGenetics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Hansen
- Centre for GeoGenetics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristine Bohmann
- Section for EvoGenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Zachos FE, Christidis L, Garnett ST. Mammalian species and the twofold nature of taxonomy: a comment on Taylor et al. 2019. MAMMALIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2019-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In a recently published paper, Taylor and colleagues discussed different approaches and interpretations of mammalian taxonomy and their bearing on more general issues such as conservation and evolutionary biology. We fully endorse the fundamental importance of taxonomy and its being grounded on scientific principles. However, we also deplore a lack of awareness in the literature of the fact that taxonomy is a twofold enterprise that encompasses not only (i) the scientific description and quantitative analysis of biodiversity but also (ii) an executive decision as to how the results of (i) are translated into names. This has serious ramifications for the conservation of our planet’s dwindling biodiversity and when taxonomic names are used as raw data for ecological and evolutionary analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank E. Zachos
- Natural History Museum Vienna , Mammal Collection , Burgring 7 , 1010 Vienna , Austria
- Department of Genetics , University of the Free State , PO Box 339 , Bloemfontein , South Africa
- Department of Integrative Zoology , University of Vienna , Althanstraße 14 , 1090 Vienna , Austria
| | - Les Christidis
- School of Environment, Science and Engineering , Southern Cross University , Coffs Harbour , NSW 2450 , Australia
| | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods , Charles Darwin University , Darwin , NT 0909 , Australia
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