The status of the world's land and marine mammals: diversity, threat, and knowledge.
Knowledge of mammalian diversity is still surprisingly disparate, both regionally and taxonomically. Here, we present a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status and distribution of the world's mammals. Data, compiled by 1700+ experts, cover all 5487 species, including marine mammals. Global macroecological patterns are very different for land and marine species but suggest common mechanisms driving diversity and endemism across systems. Compared with land species, threat levels are higher among marine mammals, driven by different processes (accidental mortality and pollution, rather than habitat loss), and are spatially distinct (peaking in northern oceans, rather than in Southeast Asia). Marine mammals are also disproportionately poorly known. These data are made freely available to support further scientific developments and conservation action.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Programme, IUCN, 28 Rue Mauverney, 1196 Gland, Switzerland. jan.schipper@iucn.org
Jan
J
Schipper
Janice S
JS
Chanson
Federica
F
Chiozza
Neil A
NA
Cox
Michael
M
Hoffmann
Vineet
V
Katariya
John
J
Lamoreux
Ana S L
AS
Rodrigues
Simon N
SN
Stuart
Helen J
HJ
Temple
Jonathan
J
Baillie
Luigi
L
Boitani
Thomas E
TE
Lacher
Russell A
RA
Mittermeier
Andrew T
AT
Smith
Daniel
D
Absolon
John M
JM
Aguiar
Giovanni
G
Amori
Noura
N
Bakkour
Ricardo
R
Baldi
Richard J
RJ
Berridge
Jon
J
Bielby
Patricia Ann
PA
Black
J Julian
JJ
Blanc
Thomas M
TM
Brooks
James A
JA
Burton
Thomas M
TM
Butynski
Gianluca
G
Catullo
Roselle
R
Chapman
Zoe
Z
Cokeliss
Ben
B
Collen
Jim
J
Conroy
Justin G
JG
Cooke
Gustavo A B
GA
da Fonseca
Andrew E
AE
Derocher
Holly T
HT
Dublin
J W
JW
Duckworth
Louise
L
Emmons
Richard H
RH
Emslie
Marco
M
Festa-Bianchet
Matt
M
Foster
Sabrina
S
Foster
David L
DL
Garshelis
Cormack
C
Gates
Mariano
M
Gimenez-Dixon
Susana
S
Gonzalez
Jose Fernando
JF
Gonzalez-Maya
Tatjana C
TC
Good
Geoffrey
G
Hammerson
Philip S
PS
Hammond
David
D
Happold
Meredith
M
Happold
John
J
Hare
Richard B
RB
Harris
Clare E
CE
Hawkins
Mandy
M
Haywood
Lawrence R
LR
Heaney
Simon
S
Hedges
Kristofer M
KM
Helgen
Craig
C
Hilton-Taylor
Syed Ainul
SA
Hussain
Nobuo
N
Ishii
Thomas A
TA
Jefferson
Richard K B
RK
Jenkins
Charlotte H
CH
Johnston
Mark
M
Keith
Jonathan
J
Kingdon
David H
DH
Knox
Kit M
KM
Kovacs
Penny
P
Langhammer
Kristin
K
Leus
Rebecca
R
Lewison
Gabriela
G
Lichtenstein
Lloyd F
LF
Lowry
Zoe
Z
Macavoy
Georgina M
GM
Mace
David P
DP
Mallon
Monica
M
Masi
Meghan W
MW
McKnight
Rodrigo A
RA
Medellín
Patricia
P
Medici
Gus
G
Mills
Patricia D
PD
Moehlman
Sanjay
S
Molur
Arturo
A
Mora
Kristin
K
Nowell
John F
JF
Oates
Wanda
W
Olech
William R L
WR
Oliver
Monik
M
Oprea
Bruce D
BD
Patterson
William F
WF
Perrin
Beth A
BA
Polidoro
Caroline
C
Pollock
Abigail
A
Powel
Yelizaveta
Y
Protas
Paul
P
Racey
Jim
J
Ragle
Pavithra
P
Ramani
Galen
G
Rathbun
Randall R
RR
Reeves
Stephen B
SB
Reilly
John E
JE
Reynolds
Carlo
C
Rondinini
Ruth Grace
RG
Rosell-Ambal
Monica
M
Rulli
Anthony B
AB
Rylands
Simona
S
Savini
Cody J
CJ
Schank
Wes
W
Sechrest
Caryn
C
Self-Sullivan
Alan
A
Shoemaker
Claudio
C
Sillero-Zubiri
Naamal
N
De Silva
David E
DE
Smith
Chelmala
C
Srinivasulu
Peter J
PJ
Stephenson
Nico
N
van Strien
Bibhab Kumar
BK
Talukdar
Barbara L
BL
Taylor
Rob
R
Timmins
Diego G
DG
Tirira
Marcelo F
MF
Tognelli
Katerina
K
Tsytsulina
Liza M
LM
Veiga
Jean-Christophe
JC
Vié
Elizabeth A
EA
Williamson
Sarah A
SA
Wyatt
Yan
Y
Xie
Bruce E
BE
Young
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D049628:Body Size; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D008322:Mammals / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D008386:Marine Biology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012623:Seawater