The global loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions

• DOI: 10.1126/science.adk7898
• Publication Date: 2024-10-03T18:01:06Z
• Authors: Thomas J. Matthews; Kostas A. Triantis; Joseph P. Wayman; Thomas E. Martin; Julian P. Hume; Pedro Cardoso; Søren Faurby; Chase D. Mendenhall; Paul Dufour; François Rigal; Rob Cooke; Robert J. Whittaker; Alex L. Pigot; Christophe Thébaud; Maria Wagner Jørg...; Eva Benavides; Filipa C. Soares; Werner Ulrich; Yasuhiro Kubota; Jon P. Sadler; Joseph A. Tobias; Ferran Sayol
• Keywords: Extinction (optical mineralogy); Phylogenetic diversity; Endemism; Global biodiversity

Humans have been driving a global erosion of species richness for millennia, but the consequences past extinctions other dimensions biodiversity-functional and phylogenetic diversity-are poorly understood. In this work, we show that, since Late Pleistocene, extinction 610 bird has caused disproportionate loss avian functional space along with ~3 billion years unique evolutionary history. For island endemics, proportional losses even greater. Projected future more than 1000 over next two centuries will incur further substantial reductions in diversity. These results highlight severe ongoing biodiversity crisis urgent need to identify ecological functions being lost through extinction.