Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42704650›Full record

ArticleeLife2026

Stage-specific threats reveal the inadequacy of adult-centered conservation.

Yan-Fang Song, Yong-Le Wang, Qing-Qing Li, Zhi-Yong Yuan, Wei-Wei Zhou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in eLife, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yan-Fang SongKey Laboratory for Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Forestry College, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3723-9486
Yong-Le WangState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4762-135X
Qing-Qing LiKey Laboratory for Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Forestry College, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3795-7845
Zhi-Yong YuanKey Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5991-3021
Wei-Wei ZhouState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9023-6663

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC31860624National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC32170445National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC32370478National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC32570496Science and Technology Projects of Xizang Autonomous Region XZ202402ZD0005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In an era of severe global biodiversity threats, understanding the link between species' traits and their endangerment helps uncover causes of risk and infer threats to understudied species. Most animals have complex life cycles with distinct stages that may face stage-specific threats. Current conservation frameworks rely heavily on adult traits, potentially misjudging extinction risk. Using Chinese anurans as a model, we integrated functional traits from both adult and tadpole stages to examine their association with extinction risk. We found that body size positively correlates with risk in both stages. Microhabitat use is related to extinction risk in tadpoles, but shows no significant link in adults. Adult relative tympanum diameter and head length also correlate with extinction risk. These results indicate that species vulnerability is correlated with multi-stage traits, with both shared and stage-specific threats. Conservation based solely on adult traits may fail to accurately assess species threats. We call for integrating a whole-life-history perspective into biodiversity assessment and conservation to more effectively address the global biodiversity crisis.

Indexed as

AnuraConservation of Natural ResourcesLife Cycle StagesAnimalsBiodiversityBody SizeEcosystemExtinction, BiologicalLarvaamphibian conservationanuracomplex life cyclesecologyextinction riskfunctional trait

Identifiers

PMID42704650
PMCPMC13549618

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.