ArticlePLoS biology2021
A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis.
Article in PLoS biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Collaborative Conservation Genetics of Cryptic Reptile Taxa From Northern Australia.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- NCBITaxonomy.jl: rapid biological names finding and reconciliation.BMC ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Built for success: Distribution, morphology, ecology and life history of the world's skinks.Ecology and evolution · 2023Article
- Addressing biodiversity loss by building a shared future.PLoS biology · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
30 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Global biodiversity loss is a profound consequence of human activity. Disturbingly, biodiversity loss is greater than realized because of the unknown number of undocumented species. Conservation fundamentally relies on taxonomic recognition of species, but only a fraction of biodiversity is described. Here, we provide a new quantitative approach for prioritizing rigorous taxonomic research for conservation. We implement this approach in a highly diverse vertebrate group-Australian lizards and snakes. Of 870 species assessed, we identified 282 (32.4%) with taxonomic uncertainty, of which 17.6% likely comprise undescribed species of conservation concern. We identify 24 species in need of immediate taxonomic attention to facilitate conservation. Using a broadly applicable return-on-investment framework, we demonstrate the importance of prioritizing the fundamental work of identifying species before they are lost.
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Registered trials
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