Mapping, explaining, and assessing the current and future protection of mammalian evolutionary diversity

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This project will synthesize two unique datasets to quantify the distribution of evolutionary history for all terrestrial mammals. First, range distribution maps have been digitized into Geographic Information Systems, permitting quantitative analysis of evolutionary history across different areas. Second, there exists a complete species-level evolutionary tree ("phylogeny"), with accurate branch lengths derived from molecular clocks and fossil evidence. These two datasets will be combined to examine three broad questions: 1) Do the distribution of species numbers and evolutionary history reside similarly around the world? 2) Do conservation priority areas based on species tallies (e.g. hotspots or ecoregions) also protect significant amounts of evolutionary history? 3) Do areas of high evolutionary history also contain unusual richness of threatened mammals? These questions are fundamental to understanding why and where almost a quarter of the 4763 mammal species are currently threatened with extinction. Human population growth, unsustainable resource use and associated environmental change have accelerated biodiversity losses over the last two centuries. Effective methods of measuring biodiversity are needed to develop a sound scientific basis for conservation. One successful and influential strategy has been to divide the planet into areas of higher and lower conservation concern. The motivation behind such strategies is that species numbers will be afforded greater protection in targeted regions. This approach can be improved by using evolutionary trees rather than species numbers per se, as will be done with this research. Thus, the proposed research will integrate ecological and evolutionary perspectives with conservation policy to help preserve biodiversity worldwide.