コメントへの返信 "絶滅する前に地球上の種に名前を付けられるか?"
Mark J Costello1, Robert M May, Nigel E Stork
1Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Post Office Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand. m.costello@auckland.ac.nz
まとめ
科学者は,地球に200万から800万の種が存在すると推定しています. 進行中の議論にもかかわらず,現在の分類的取り組みは前例のないもので,種の記述と絶滅率の推定を裏付けています.
科学分野:
- 生物多様性 科学 科学 生物多様性
- タクソノミーは,分類法です.
- 保護生物学の保護生物学
背景:
- 種の発見の割合と絶滅の割合について議論があります.
- 世界的な種豊かさの見積もりは大きく異なる.
- 現在の分類学的取り組みの有効性は,精査されています.
研究 の 目的:
- 絶滅に関する種の発見のタイムラインに関する論争を解決するために.
- 種の記述と絶滅率の見積もりを強化する.
- 世界的な種豊かさに関する最新の数字を提示する.
主な方法:
- 種の記述と絶滅に関する既存のデータの分析.
- 未発見の顕微生物種の影響を評価するためのモデリング.
- 現在の分類的努力水準の評価.
主要な成果:
- 結論は,より微小な種の発見に関わらず,堅実なままです.
- 種の記述と絶滅率は,現在のデータによって強化されています.
- 分類学的な努力は史上最高水準に達しています.
- 推定の世界的な種の豊かさは200万から800万の範囲に及ぶ.
結論:
- 種の発見を加速させるための研究の中核の勧告は有効である.
- 現在の分類的取り組みは相当なもので,既存の率の推定を裏付けている.
- 地球は,おそらく数百万の未発見の種を抱えていて,生物多様性研究の緊急性を強調しています.
関連する概念動画
Conservation of Declining Populations
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
Threats to Biodiversity
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
Habitat Fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
The Fossil Record
The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
Limits to Natural Selection
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
What is Evolutionary History?
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.


