Publication Date:
2012
Short description:
The Magnitude of Global Marine Species Diversity / Appeltans, W.; Ahyong, S. T.; Anderson, G.; Angel, M. V.; Artois, T.; Bailly, N.; Bamber, R.; Barber, A.; Bartsch, I.; Berta, A.; Błażewicz Paszkowycz, M.; Bock, P.; Boxshall, G.; Boyko, C. B.; Nunes Brandão, S.; Bray, R. A.; Bruce, N. L.; Cairns, S. D.; Chan, T. Y.; Cheng, L.; Collins, A. G.; Cribb, T.; Curini Galletti, M.; Dahdouh Guebas, F.; Davie, P. J. F.; Dawson, M. N.; De Clerck, O.; Decock, W.; De Grave, S.; De Voogd, N. J.; Domning, D. P.; Emig, C. C.; Erséus, C.; Eschmeyer, W.; Fauchald, K.; Fautin, D. F.; Feist, S. W.; Fransen, C. H. J. M.; Furuya, H.; Garcia Alvarez, O.; Gerken, S.; Gibson, D.; Gittenberger, A.; Gofas, S.; Gómez Daglio, L.; Gordon, D. P.; Guiry, M. D.; Hernandez, F.; Hoeksema, B. W.; Hopcroft, R. R.; Jaume, D.; Kirk, P.; Koedam, N.; Koenemann, S.; Kolb, J. B.; Kristensen, R. M.; Kroh, A.; Lambert, G.; Lazarus, D. B.; Lemaitre, R.; Longshaw, M.; Lowry, J.; Macpherson, E.; Madin, L. P.; Mah, C.; Mapstone, G.; Mclaughlin, P. A.; Meland, J. M. K.; Messing, C. G.; Mills, C. E.; Molodtsova, T. N.; Mooi, R.; Neuhaus, B.; Ng, P. K. L.; Nielsen, C.; Norenburg, J.; Opresko, D. M.; Osawa, M.; Paulay, G.; Perrin, W.; Pilger, J. F.; Poore, G. C. B.; Pugh, P.; Read, G. B.; Reimer, J. D.; Rius, M.; Rocha, R. M.; Saiz Salinas, J. I.; Scarabino, V.; Schierwater, B.; Schmidt Rhaesa, A.; Schnabel, K. E.; Schotte, M.; Schuchert, P.; Schwabe, E.; Segers, H.; Self Sullivan, C.; Shenkar, N.; Siegel, V.; Sterrer, W.; Stöhr, S.; Swalla, B.; Tasker, M. L.; Thuesen, E. V.; Timm, T.; Todaro, Mary Antonio Donatello; Turon, X.; Tyler, S.; Uetz, P.; Van Der Land, J.; Vanhoorne, B.; Van Ofwegen, L. P.; Van Soest, R. W. M.; Vanaverbeke, J.; Walker Smith, G.; Walter, T. C.; Warren, A.; Williams, G. C.; Wilson, S. P.; Costello, M. J.. - In: CURRENT BIOLOGY. - ISSN 0960-9822. - STAMPA. - 22:23(2012), pp. 2189-2202. [10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.036]
abstract:
Background: The question of how many marine species exist
is important because it provides a metric for how much we do
and do not know about life in the oceans. We have compiled
the first register of the marine species of the world and used
this baseline to estimate how many more species, partitioned
among all major eukaryotic groups, may be discovered.
Results: There are w226,000 eukaryotic marine species
described. More species were described in the past decade
(w20,000) than in any previous one. The number of authors
describing new species has been increasing at a faster rate
than the number of new species described in the past six
decades. We report that there are w170,000 synonyms, that
58,000–72,000 species are collected but not yet described,
and that 482,000–741,000 more species have yet to be
sampled. Molecular methods may add tens of thousands of
cryptic species. Thus, there may be 0.7–1.0 million marine
species. Past rates of description of new species indicate
there may be 0.5 6 0.2 million marine species. On average
37% (median 31%) of species in over 100 recent field studies
around the world might be new to science.
Conclusions: Currently, between one-third and two-thirds of
marine species may be undescribed, and previous estimates
of there being well over one million marine species appear
highly unlikely. More species than ever before are being
described annually by an increasing number of authors. If
the current trend continues, most species will be discovered
this century.
Iris type:
Articolo su rivista
Keywords:
Biodiversity; Fauna; Marine; sea; invertebrate; vertebrate; biogeography
List of contributors:
Appeltans, W.; Ahyong, S. T.; Anderson, G.; Angel, M. V.; Artois, T.; Bailly, N.; Bamber, R.; Barber, A.; Bartsch, I.; Berta, A.; Błażewicz Paszkowycz, M.; Bock, P.; Boxshall, G.; Boyko, C. B.; Nunes Brandão, S.; Bray, R. A.; Bruce, N. L.; Cairns, S. D.; Chan, T. Y.; Cheng, L.; Collins, A. G.; Cribb, T.; Curini Galletti, M.; Dahdouh Guebas, F.; Davie, P. J. F.; Dawson, M. N.; De Clerck, O.; Decock, W.; De Grave, S.; De Voogd, N. J.; Domning, D. P.; Emig, C. C.; Erséus, C.; Eschmeyer, W.; Fauchald, K.; Fautin, D. F.; Feist, S. W.; Fransen, C. H. J. M.; Furuya, H.; Garcia Alvarez, O.; Gerken, S.; Gibson, D.; Gittenberger, A.; Gofas, S.; Gómez Daglio, L.; Gordon, D. P.; Guiry, M. D.; Hernandez, F.; Hoeksema, B. W.; Hopcroft, R. R.; Jaume, D.; Kirk, P.; Koedam, N.; Koenemann, S.; Kolb, J. B.; Kristensen, R. M.; Kroh, A.; Lambert, G.; Lazarus, D. B.; Lemaitre, R.; Longshaw, M.; Lowry, J.; Macpherson, E.; Madin, L. P.; Mah, C.; Mapstone, G.; Mclaughlin, P. A.; Meland, J. M. K.; Messing, C. G.; Mills, C. E.; Molodtsova, T. N.; Mooi, R.; Neuhaus, B.; Ng, P. K. L.; Nielsen, C.; Norenburg, J.; Opresko, D. M.; Osawa, M.; Paulay, G.; Perrin, W.; Pilger, J. F.; Poore, G. C. B.; Pugh, P.; Read, G. B.; Reimer, J. D.; Rius, M.; Rocha, R. M.; Saiz Salinas, J. I.; Scarabino, V.; Schierwater, B.; Schmidt Rhaesa, A.; Schnabel, K. E.; Schotte, M.; Schuchert, P.; Schwabe, E.; Segers, H.; Self Sullivan, C.; Shenkar, N.; Siegel, V.; Sterrer, W.; Stöhr, S.; Swalla, B.; Tasker, M. L.; Thuesen, E. V.; Timm, T.; Todaro, Mary Antonio Donatello; Turon, X.; Tyler, S.; Uetz, P.; Van Der Land, J.; Vanhoorne, B.; Van Ofwegen, L. P.; Van Soest, R. W. M.; Vanaverbeke, J.; Walker Smith, G.; Walter, T. C.; Warren, A.; Williams, G. C.; Wilson, S. P.; Costello, M. J.
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