Identifying global hotspots and conservation priorities for reptilian phylogenetic diversity

2018

As we face the current extinction crisis with extremely limited resources for conservation, it is important to consider how we can preserve as much of the tree of life as possible. To date, global assessments of phylogenetic conservation priorities have been conducted for amphibians, birds and mammals. However, a lack of data has previously precluded the incorporation of reptiles-which represent almost a third of terrestrial vertebrate diversity-into such analyses. Here, we present the first global analysis of reptilian phylogenetic conservation priorities. As reptiles are not comprehensively assessed by the IUCN Red List, we employ a combination of species-focused and spatial approaches to…