According to a new study, the existence of over 500 animal species is “lost” but not “extinct”.

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According to a new study, the existence of over 500 animal species is “lost” but not “extinct”.

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A global study provides the first comprehensive assessment of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not yet been declared extinct. Over 500 'lost' species, or critters that haven't been seen in more than 50 years, are identified in the study.

Researchers found 562 ‘lost’ species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List). Animal Conservation, an academic journal, published their findings.

Extinction, according to the IUCN Red List, occurs when there is no reasonable doubt that the last member of a species has perished, which is a difficult criterion to meet. According to Arne Mooers, a professor of biodiversity at Simon Fraser University and co-author of the report, the Red List classifies 75 of the 562 extinct species as “possibly extinct.” The presence of a huge number of species whose conservation status is unknown, according to the findings, may become a more serious issue as the extinction crisis worsens and more species perish.

311 terrestrial vertebrate species have been declared extinct since 1500 and so, around 80% of them are officially declared lost, according to this figure.

There are 257 lost reptiles, 137 amphibians, 130 mammalian species, and 38 bird species in all. The great majority of these species last saw the light of day in megadiverse countries like Brazil (29 species), Mexico (33 species) and Indonesia (69 species).

Although this concentration is not unusual, scientists agree it is intriguing. It’s concerning because the vast majority of these extinct species are found in megadiverse tropical countries, Paignton Zoo’s Tom Martin says. In the coming decades, these countries are expected to have the highest number of extinctions.

While theoretical estimates of continuous ‘extinction rates’ are fine, it appears to be preferable to seek out actual species.”

The researchers believe the core analysis will aid in prioritising these lost species in future searches,” said Gareth Bennett, an SFU undergraduate student who gathered the majority of the data.

Future research should focus on “hotspots,” which have been identified as areas where the occurrence of a large number of specific species is unknown, according to the scientists. More money would be needed to finance the type of hotspot-focused fieldwork needed to either rediscover extinct species or dispel any reasonable doubt that they still exist.


Story Source: Original release by  Simon Fraser University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length by Scible News.


References

T. E. Martin, G. C. Bennett, A. Fairbairn, A. O. Mooers. ‘Lost’ taxa and their conservation implicationsAnimal Conservation, 2022; DOI: 10.1111/acv.12788

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