No respect for the spineless

Certain animals, such as large predators, often receive more attention from people compared to other, less awe-inspiring species, such as most insects. Even researchers and research funding bodies often show more interest in certain species compared to others, a phenomenon known as “taxonomic bias”.

For at-risk species, understanding taxonomic bias can help researchers better understand key knowledge gaps, which can in turn be used to help prioritize research activities and conservation actions. This study compared research trends for more than 10,000 threatened, vulnerable, and endangered animals from around the world. The study found that invertebrate species, those without a spinal column or backbone, were studied much less than vertebrate species. The study also found that little is known about the majority of at-risk species, particularly invertebrates, in certain parts of the world. While simply conducting more research cannot ensure the protection of understudied and at-risk species, identifying common threats to species in different environments may help to prioritize conservation and research activities.

Read the full paper — Taxonomic bias and international biodiversity conservation research by Michael R. Donaldson, Nicholas J. Burnett, Douglas C. Braun, Cory D. Suski, Scott G. Hinch, Steven J. Cooke and Jeremy T. Kerr on the FACETS website.