Madagascar’s biodiversity is legendarybut experts say it is feasible that in amphibians alone the number of species on the island is double what is known. In fact, 310 new candidate species have recently been identified by the IIM-CSIC.
Research by researchers from the High Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), an organization dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, shows that the diversity of amphibians on the island of Madagascarin the Indian Ocean, twice as high as recognized. The results of the work, partly funded by the State Research Agency (AEI) and published in the journal Diversity and Distributions, highlight the need to intensify conservation efforts in little-explored tropical areas.
Scientists Albert Carné, from Science & Business SL, and David R. Vieites, from the INMARE group of the Marine Research Institute (IIM-CSIC), have analyzed all available genetic data on Madagascar frogs, including specimens that have not been studied taxonomically , with the ultimate goal of characterizing the amphibian diversity on the island. The research has made possible the identification of new species candidates that are genetically very different from the candidates already described.
In addition to the 413 frog species described on the island, researchers have identified 408 genetically divergent genera. Among them, there are 310 new candidate species awaiting taxonomic revision. “We consider candidate species as species that are genetically very different from the already described species and the like They may exhibit differences in morphology and song that distinguish themN. After this characterization, a taxonomic assessment is needed to officially describe them as a species,” says Vieites.
This work highlights important taxonomic gaps in one of the most studied amphibian biodiversity hotspots, highlighting that even the most studied regions still They can house a large number of species to discover.
“We still don’t know how many species we share the planet with, but we know that most of them have not yet been described and that unfortunately they have an unpromising future,” says Carné, who is pursuing an industrial PhD in the field of nature. the diversity of Madagascar through a partnership between the CSIC and the Science and Business company.
Amphibian conservation efforts need to be intensified and optimized
“If in a group of vertebrates such as amphibians, which are colorful and well studied, the diversity is twice as great as is recognized, the difference may be greater in less studied groups such as invertebrates or plants,” says Vieites. Carné adds: “The identified candidate species are concentrated in well-explored areas of Madagascarthere is still a lot of primeval forest that has never been explored. What will happen in the tropical areas of the world that are being devastated and about which we hardly know anything? “How many species are we going to lose without even documenting their existence?”
The study calls for intensifying conservation efforts given this new diversity the need for further research in tropical areas less studied.
“Madagascar is an example of what is happening all over the planet: the regions richest in species are the regions we know the least about and which in turn suffer the most habitat destruction, as is also the case in the Amazon or Central Africa, with the logical loss of biodiversity. Many of the species from which we extract compounds used in medicine or biotechnology come from these regions,” the researchers conclude.
Know the species (in this case amphibians) that are still undiscovered It is the only way to protect them from the disastrous consequences of anthropogenic activities. Global warming, rising sea levels and ocean acidification can be fatal to the most vulnerable and native species.