All taxa are endemic and occur in nested distributions at a range of spatia
l scales. Distinguishing endemics as either neoendemics or palaeoendemics m
ay not be of practical value in analytical biogeography, but distinguishing
extinction mediated endemics (cryptoendemics) from endemics which never ha
d a significantly wider range (euendemics) would be useful for interpreting
the history of geographic areas. Only cladistic phylogeny provides a tool
for distinguishing these two types of endemic.