Hunting to extinction: biology and regional economy influence extinction risk and the impact of hunting in artiodactyls.

ABSTRACT: Half of all artiodactyls (even-toed hoofed mammals) are threatened with extinction, around double the mammalian average. Here, using a complete species-level phylogeny, we construct a multivariate model to assess for the first time which intrinsic (biological) and extrinsic (anthropogenic and environmental) factors influence variation in extinction risk in artiodactyls. Globally artiodactyls at greatest risk live in economically less developed areas, have older weaning ages and smaller geographical ranges. Our findings suggest that identifying predictors of threat is complicated by interactions between both biological and anthropogenic factors, resulting in differential responses to threatening processes. Artiodactyl species that experience unregulated hunting live in significantly less ec

SUBMITTER: Price SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2270938 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature