The description and number of undiscovered mammal species

Abstract

Global species counts are a key measure of biodiversity and associated metrics of conservation. It is both scientifically and practically important to know how many species exist, how many undescribed species remain, and where they are found. We modify a model for the number of undescribed species using species description data and incorporating taxonomic information. We assume a Poisson distribution for the number of species described in an interval and use maximum likelihood to estimate parameter values of an unknown intensity function. To test the model's performance, we performed a simulation study comparing our method to a previous model under conditions qualitatively similar to those related to mammal species description over the last two centuries. Because our model more accurately estimates the total number of species, we predict that 5% of mammals remain undescribed. We applied our model to determine the biogeographic realms which hold these undescribed species.

Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies

“…Specifically, the prevalence of ebolaviruses circulating in populations of putative hosts, such as bats, can vary greatly across short periods of time (116) and is often lower (118) than prevalences observed in other viruses whose hosts have been identified more rapidly with the aid of voucher specimens (see the "Hantaviruses" section above). Furthermore, for mammals, the most targeted ebolavirus hosts thus far, the Afrotropics represents a hot spot of evolutionary diversity, with one recent study predicting at least 122 undiscovered species (121). Moreover, recent phylogenetic research using voucher specimens from natural history collections has indicated high levels of cryptic diversity in Miniopterus (122), a bat genus speculated to be a reservoir host for Zaire ebolavirus (123).…”

Linnean shortfall and space‐time patterns in species description of New World coralsnakes (Serpentes: Elapidae)

“…Therefore, the interpretation of these results should be made with caution. To reduce the uncertainties inherent in these analyses, more recent methods incorporate the number of taxonomists who described species within a given time interval to account for taxonomic effort in the models and capture temporal variations in the description of new species (Fisher et al., 2018; Joppa et al., 2011; Lu & He, 2017). Despite the abovementioned issues, estimates of the number of undescribed species are important because many species may go extinct before they are even described (Mora et al., 2013; Tedesco et al., 2014).…”

“…Despite the abovementioned issues, estimates of the number of undescribed species are important because many species may go extinct before they are even described (Mora et al., 2013; Tedesco et al., 2014). Combining these estimates with the spatial distribution of the probability of discovering new species is important for determining where and in which groups taxonomic efforts should be applied (Fisher et al., 2018).…”

Phylum Nematoda: trends in species descriptions, the documentation of diversity, systematics, and the species concept

“…These concerns have been expressed for nematodes, particularly the plant parasites (luc et al 1987, Maggenti 1991, 1988, as well as in some charismatic vertebrate groups like birds, amphibians and mammals. In primates, the number of species has doubled since 1985 through elevation of subspecies to species level even though few new taxa have been discovered (Burgin et al 2018, Fisher et al 2018, Isaac et al 2004. Taxonomic inflation may be less of an issue for nematodes than for more charismatic groups because new species have been overwhelmingly based on new material rather than just revision of old material as with primates.…”