Jun

11

2008
 
 

Tree of death



Evolutionary phylogeny of British birds flags up species at future risk

scary, isn't it?British bird species with declining populations are more closely related than expected, according to findings published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. The study’s author, Imperial College’s Gavin Thomas, suggests the link might help identify those species most at risk of extinction. The evolutionary tree, which Thomas constructed by comparing mitochondrial gene sequences of Britain’s resident birds, shows that red listed species are clustered together. The reason is simple: closely related species tend to share physical traits, so what’s bad for one is bad for another. However, the findings also suggest a way for conservationists to identify vulnerable species – by looking at those currently in decline it should be possible to work out which ones are next in line to fall off the perch. Source: Thomas G (2008) Phylogenetic distributions of British birds of conservation concern. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0549

Image: © Graham McKenzie-Smith

Filed Under Endangered species, Habitat, Restoration, Monitoring, Tools and technology | 

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