EVOLUTIONARY AGE AND RISK OF EXTINCTION IN THE GLOBAL AVIFAUNA

Authors
GASTON KJ BLACKBURN TM
Citation
Kj. Gaston et Tm. Blackburn, EVOLUTIONARY AGE AND RISK OF EXTINCTION IN THE GLOBAL AVIFAUNA, Evolutionary ecology, 11(5), 1997, pp. 557-565
Citations number
50
Categorie Soggetti
Genetics & Heredity",Ecology,Biology
Journal title
Evolutionary ecology → ACNP
ISSN journal
02697653
Volume
11
Issue
5
Year of publication
1997
Pages
557 - 565
Database
ISI
SICI code
0269-7653(1997)11:5<557:EAAROE>2.0.ZU;2-J
Abstract
Species at high risk of extinction are not distributed at random among higher taxa. Here we demonstrate that there is a positive relationshi p between the proportion of species in a taxon which are considered to be threatened and the evolutionary age of that taxon, both for the gl obal avifauna and the avifauna of the New World. The potential mechani sms and consequences of the relationship are examined.