title: Intraspecific morphological and genetic variation of common species predicts ranges of threatened ones.
abstract: Predicting where threatened species occur is useful for making informed conservation decisions. However, because they are usually rare, surveying threatened species is often expensive and time intensive. Here, we show how regions where common species exhibit high genetic and morphological divergence among populations can be used to predict the occurrence of species of conservation concern. Intraspecific variation of common species of birds, bats and frogs from Ecuador were found to be a significantly better predictor for the occurrence of threatened species than suites of environmental variables or the occurrence of amphibians and birds. Fully 93 per cent of the threatened species analysed had their range adequately represented by the geographical distribution of the morphological and genetic variation found in seven common species. Both higher numbers of threatened species and greater genetic and morphological variation of common species occurred along elevation gradients. Higher levels of intraspecific divergence may be the result of disruptive selection and/or introgression along gradients. We suggest that collecting data on genetic and morphological variation in common species can be a cost effective tool for conservation planning, and that future biodiversity inventories include surveying genetic and morphological data of common species whenever feasible.
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. fullertl@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Trevon L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Henri A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Thomassen
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peralvo
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buermann
authors.forename: Borja
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Milá
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kieswetter
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jarrín-V
authors.forename: Susan E Cameron
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Devitt
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Rena M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: Jasmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schlunegger
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ophelia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pollinger
authors.forename: Sassan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saatchi
authors.forename: Catherine H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Wayne
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004484:Ecuador; D056727:Endangered Species; D004777:Environment; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008954:Models, Biological; D013045:Species Specificity; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics*