Genomes From Historic DNA Unveil Massive Hidden Extinction and Terminal Endangerment in a Tropical Asian Songbird Radiation.

ABSTRACT: Quantifying the magnitude of the global extinction crisis is important but remains challenging, as many extinction events pass unnoticed owing to our limited taxonomic knowledge of the world's organisms. The increasing rarity of many taxa renders comprehensive sampling difficult, further compounding the problem. Vertebrate lineages such as birds, which are thought to be taxonomically well understood, are therefore used as indicator groups for mapping and quantifying global extinction. To test whether extinction patterns are adequately gauged in well-studied groups, we implemented ancient-DNA protocols and retrieved whole genomes from the historic DNA of museum specimens in a widely known songbird radiation of shamas (genus Copsychus) that is assumed to be of least conservation concern. We

SUBMITTER: Wu MY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9486911 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature