Rarity as double jeopardy

Kevin J. Gaston ()
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Kevin J. Gaston: University of Sheffield

Nature, 1998, vol. 394, issue 6690, 229-230

Abstract: What factors contribute to extinction of a species? Conventional wisdom has it that those species that have many members (high abundance) spread over a large geographical range have a greater chance of survival than less abundant, clustered populations. But it turns out that this is not all. A study of Australian marsupials now reveals that species of a relatively recent evolutionary origin show a positive relationship between local abundance and geographical spread, whereas more ancient species show a negative relationship. Presumably, this is because the relatives of ancient species who showed low abundance and small ranges have already become extinct.

Date: 1998
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DOI: 10.1038/28288

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