Progress in the discovery of isopods (Crustacea: Peracarida)-is the description rate slowing down?

ABSTRACT: Taxonomic species are the best standardised metric of biodiversity. Therefore, there is broad scientific and public interest in how many species have already been named and how many more may exist. Crustaceans comprise about 6% of all named animal species and isopods about 15% of all crustaceans. Here, we review progress in the naming of isopods in relation to the number of people describing new species and estimate how many more species may yet be named by 2050 and 2100, respectively. In over two and a half centuries of discovery, 10,687 isopod species in 1,557 genera and 141 families have been described by 755 first authors. The number of authors has increased over time, especially since the 1950s, indicating increasing effort in the description of new species. Despite that the average n

SUBMITTER: Hartebrodt L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10484202 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature