Temporal trends in global reptile species descriptions over three decades

Autor(es)

Guedes, Jhonny J. M. ; De Lima, Hidalgo Valentim Gomes ; Mendonca, Lucas R. ; Chen-Zhao, Rosana ; Diniz-Filho, Jose Alexandre F. ; Moura, Mario R.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: SYSTEMATICS AND BIODIVERSITY; v. 22, n. 1, p. 14-pg., 2024-12-31.

Resumo

Despite the urgency imposed by the current biodiversity crisis, many species remain undescribed, facing extinction before their formal recognition by science. Accelerating species descriptions is thus imperative. However, descriptions should be robust and based on good taxonomic practice, which may enhance long-term nomenclatural stability that is crucial for scientific research and conservation planning. Yet, few studies have assessed the robustness of species description. Here, we evaluated temporal trends in species descriptions of nearly 4,000 squamate reptiles spanning more than three decades (from 1990 to 2023). We observed an average increase of about 115% in the number of lines of evidence used in descriptions, such as pholidosis, morphometrics, and genes sequenced for molecular analysis. Type-series size decreased by nearly half for lizards but remained roughly constant for snakes, while page length dedicated to descriptions showed an upward trajectory for both taxa, increasing 42.7% on average over time. Furthermore, our study highlights the positive correlation between robust species descriptions (i.e. measured by the number of lines of evidence provided, type-series size, and number of pages) and taxonomic reviews, as well as the impact of collaborative efforts, with more authors on descriptions associated with greater lines of evidence and pages. Overall, descriptions of reptiles have become more thorough and robust over recent decades. The proportion of species descriptions that included molecular analysis has grown over time, with more than half of all species described annually in recent years having molecular data. Despite hundreds of new reptile species being described annually, the potential invalidation of many species in the future may jeopardise current conservation efforts. Therefore, thorough, accurate descriptions are important in addressing the biodiversity crisis and providing reliable data for biodiversity analyses and conservation planning. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 21/11840-6 - Megadados & conservação da biodiversidade: avaliando o impacto do acúmulo de conhecimento da biodiversidade sobre o planejamento da conservação
• Beneficiário: Mario Ribeiro de Moura
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 22/12231-6 - Megadados & conservação da biodiversidade: avaliando o impacto do acúmulo de conhecimento da biodiversidade sobre o planejamento da conservação
• Beneficiário: Mario Ribeiro de Moura
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Jovens Pesquisadores