Filling Linnean shortfalls increases endemicity patterns: Conservation and Biogeographical implications for the extreme case of Liolaemus species

Abstract

Linnean shortfalls, imply noteworthy biodiversity conservation constraints. The case of Argentinian reptiles is unique. Species description of the genus Liolaemus (~60% of the Argentine reptiles) hasa current rate of 3.25 spp/year, leading to a significant increase in the number of species. Filling Linnean shortfalls within this genus has revealed an extraordinary recent evolutionary radiation that also strongly modifies the spatial accumulation patterns of richness and endemism. While forty years ago none of the studied species were considered endemic at the ecoregional level, today the genus represents an essential element to define the southernmost terrestrial ecoregions ofthe world. Furthermore, the remarkable decrease in the average extent of occurrence (EOO) of Liolaemus species implies an increased extinction risk in light of any human threat. Based on the thresholds for the IUCN?s B1 criteria, and 11 well-studied clades of Liolaemus, we show that, whilein 1980, 87% of the described species would not qualify as threatened based on EOO, today 80% of the species have an EOO of less than 20,000 km2 and thus may qualify as threatened based B1 thresholds, which demonstrate the importance of the recent increase of knowledge regarding the taxonomy, systemics and genetics of the group.