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Science 10 October 2008:
Vol. 322. no. 5899, pp. 225 - 230
DOI: 10.1126/science.1165115
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Research Articles

The Status of the World's Land and Marine Mammals: Diversity, Threat, and Knowledge

Jan Schipper,1,2* Janice S. Chanson,1,2 Federica Chiozza,3 Neil A. Cox,1,2 Michael Hoffmann,1,2 Vineet Katariya,1 John Lamoreux,1,4 Ana S. L. Rodrigues,5,6 Simon N. Stuart,1,2 Helen J. Temple,7 Jonathan Baillie,8 Luigi Boitani,3 Thomas E. Lacher, Jr.,2,4 Russell A. Mittermeier,2 Andrew T. Smith,9 Daniel Absolon,10 John M. Aguiar,2,4 Giovanni Amori,11 Noura Bakkour,2,12 Ricardo Baldi,13,14 Richard J. Berridge,15 Jon Bielby,8,16 Patricia Ann Black,17 J. Julian Blanc,18 Thomas M. Brooks,2,19,20 James A. Burton,21,22 Thomas M. Butynski,23,24 Gianluca Catullo,25 Roselle Chapman,26 Zoe Cokeliss,8 Ben Collen,8 Jim Conroy,27 Justin G. Cooke,28 Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca,29,30 Andrew E. Derocher,31 Holly T. Dublin,32 J. W. Duckworth,33 Louise Emmons,34 Richard H. Emslie,35 Marco Festa-Bianchet,36 Matt Foster,2 Sabrina Foster,37 David L. Garshelis,38 Cormack Gates,39 Mariano Gimenez-Dixon,40 Susana Gonzalez,41 Jose Fernando Gonzalez-Maya,42 Tatjana C. Good,43 Geoffrey Hammerson,44 Philip S. Hammond,45 David Happold,46 Meredith Happold,46 John Hare,47 Richard B. Harris,48 Clare E. Hawkins,49,50 Mandy Haywood,51 Lawrence R. Heaney,52 Simon Hedges,33 Kristofer M. Helgen,34 Craig Hilton-Taylor,7 Syed Ainul Hussain,53 Nobuo Ishii,54 Thomas A. Jefferson,55 Richard K. B. Jenkins,56,57 Charlotte H. Johnston,9 Mark Keith,58 Jonathan Kingdon,59 David H. Knox,60 Kit M. Kovacs,61,62 Penny Langhammer,9 Kristin Leus,63 Rebecca Lewison,64 Gabriela Lichtenstein,65 Lloyd F. Lowry,66 Zoe Macavoy,16 Georgina M. Mace,16 David P. Mallon,67 Monica Masi,25 Meghan W. McKnight,68 Rodrigo A. Medellín,69 Patricia Medici,70,71 Gus Mills,72 Patricia D. Moehlman,73 Sanjay Molur,74,75 Arturo Mora,76 Kristin Nowell,77 John F. Oates,78 Wanda Olech,79 William R. L. Oliver,80 Monik Oprea,34 Bruce D. Patterson,52 William F. Perrin,55 Beth A. Polidoro,1 Caroline Pollock,7 Abigail Powel,81 Yelizaveta Protas,82 Paul Racey,56 Jim Ragle,1 Pavithra Ramani,37 Galen Rathbun,83 Randall R. Reeves,84 Stephen B. Reilly,55 John E. Reynolds, III,85 Carlo Rondinini,3 Ruth Grace Rosell-Ambal,86 Monica Rulli,25 Anthony B. Rylands,2 Simona Savini,25 Cody J. Schank,37 Wes Sechrest,37 Caryn Self-Sullivan,87 Alan Shoemaker,88 Claudio Sillero-Zubiri,89 Naamal De Silva,2 David E. Smith,37 Chelmala Srinivasulu,90 Peter J. Stephenson,91 Nico van Strien,92 Bibhab Kumar Talukdar,93 Barbara L. Taylor,55 Rob Timmins,94 Diego G. Tirira,95 Marcelo F. Tognelli,96,97 Katerina Tsytsulina,98 Liza M. Veiga,99 Jean-Christophe Vié,1 Elizabeth A. Williamson,100 Sarah A. Wyatt,2 Yan Xie,101 Bruce E. Young44

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.

1 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Programme, IUCN, 28 Rue Mauverney, 1196 Gland, Switzerland.
2 Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.
3 Department of Animal and Human Biology, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale dell'Università 32, 00185 Roma, Italy.
4 Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
5 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
6 Environment and Energy Section, Mechanical Engineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal.
7 IUCN Species Programme, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, UK.
8 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
9 School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Post Office Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
10 62 Bradford Road, Combe Down, Bath, BA2 5BY, UK.
11 CNR–Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Via A. Borelli, 50, 00161 Rome, Italy.
12 Department of Environmental Science and Policy, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA.
13 Centro Nacional Patagónico, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), 9120 Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
14 Patagonian and Andean Steppe Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Boulevard Brown 2825, 9120 Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
15 Mantella-Conservation.org, 75 Plover Way, London, SE16 7TS, UK.
16 Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
17 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 205, 4000 Tucumán, Argentina.
18 The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), MIKE–Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants, Post Office Box 47074, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
19 World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines.
20 University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
21 Earthwatch Institute (Europe), 256 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DE, UK.
22 Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, Scotland.
23 Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program, Post Office Box 149, 10400 Nanyuki, Kenya.
24 Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
25 Istituto di Ecologia Applicata, via Arezzo 29, 00162 Rome, Italy.
26 23 High Street, Watlington, Oxfordshire, OX49 5PZ, UK.
27 Celtic Environment Ltd, 10 Old Mart Road, Torphins, Banchory, Kincardineshire, AB31 4JG, UK.
28 Centre for Ecosystem Management Studies, Mooshof 1a, 79297 Winden, Germany.
29 Global Environment Facility, 1818 H Street NW, G 6-602, Washington, DC 20433, USA.
30 Department of Zoology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
31 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
32 IUCN Species Survival Commission, c/o South African National Biodiversity Institute, Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, Cape Town, South Africa.
33 Wildlife Conservation Society–Asia Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA.
34 Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA.
35 IUCN SSC (Species Survival Commission), African Rhino Specialist Group, Box 1212, Hilton 3245, South Africa.
36 Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada.
37 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
38 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA.
39 Environmental Science Department, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
40 Chemin de la Perroude 2 B, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland.
41 Genética de la Conservación–IIBCE-Facultad de Ciencias, Avenida Italia 3318, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay.
42 ProCAT International, Las Alturas, Coto Brus, Costa Rica.
43 Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
44 NatureServe, 1101 Wilson Boulevard, 15th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209, USA.
45 Sea Mammal Research Unit, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK.
46 Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
47 Wild Camel Protection Foundation, School Farm, Benenden, Kent, TN17 4EU, UK.
48 Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
49 Threatened Species Section, Department of Primary Industries & Water, General Post Office Box 44, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
50 School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
51 The Centre for Science Communication, Natural History Filmmaking, 303 Great King Street, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
52 Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA.
53 Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box 18, Dehra Dun, 248 001, India.
54 Tokyo Woman's Christian University, 2-6-1 Zempukuji, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, 167-8585, Japan.
55 Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
56 School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK.
57 Madagasikara Voakajy, Boite Postale 5181, Antananarivo (101), Madagascar.
58 Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa.
59 Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
60 Conservation International, Private Bag X7, 7735, Claremont, South Africa.
61 Norwegian Polar Institute, 9296 Tromsø, Norway.
62 The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway.
63 Copenhagen Zoo and Conservation Breeding Specialist Group–European Regional Office, p/a Annuntiatenstraat 6, 2170 Merksem, Belgium.
64 Biology Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Road, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
65 Instituto Nacional de Antropologia y Pensamiento Latinoamericano, 3 de Febrero 1378 (1426), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
66 School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA.
67 Department of Biological Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK.
68 Nicolás Ruiz No. 100, Barrio de Guadalupe, San Cristóbal de las Casas, CP 29230, Chiapas, México.
69 Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-275, 04510 Ciudad Universitaria, D.F., México.
70 Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative, IPÊ–Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research), Caixa Postal 47, Nazaré Paulista, CEP 12960-000, São Paulo, Brazil.
71 Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, Kent, UK.
72 The Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation, 305 Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park, Sandton 2196, South Africa.
73 Wildlife Trust Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001, USA.
74 Zoo Outreach Organisation, Box 1683, 9A, Gopal Nagar, Lal Bahadur Colony Peelamedu, Coimbatore – 641 004 Tamil Nadu, India.
75 Wildlife Information & Liaison Development Society, 9A Lal Bahadur Colony, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641004, India.
76 Species Unit, IUCN South America Regional Office, Calle Quiteño Libre E 15–12 y la Cumbre, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador.
77 Cat Action Treasury, Post Office Box 332, Cape Neddick, ME 03902, USA.
78 Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
79 Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.
80 Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Programme, Fauna & Flora International, 3A Star Pavilion Apartments, 519 Alonso Street, Malate, Manila 1004, Philippines.
81 Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
82 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 10th Floor Schermerhorn Extension, MC 5557, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA.
83 Department of Ornithology and Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), Post Office Box 202, Cambria, CA 93428, USA.
84 Okapi Wildlife Associates, 27 Chandler Lane, Hudson, Quebec, J0P 1H0, Canada.
85 Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA.
86 Conservation International (CI)-Philippines, 6 Maalalahanin Street, Teacher's Village, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines.
87 Sirenian International, 200 Stonewall Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22401, USA.
88 IUCN Tapir Specialist Group, 330 Shareditch Road, Columbia, SC 29210, USA.
89 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Zoology Department, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK.
90 Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh – 500 007, India.
91 WWF International, Avenue du Mont Blanc, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland.
92 International Rhino Foundation, c/o White Oak Conservation Center 581705 White Oak Road, Yulee, FL 32097, USA.
93 Aaranyak, 50 Samanwoy Path (Survey), Post Office Beltola, Guwhati – 781 028, Assam, India.
94 2313 Willard Avenue, Madison, WI 53704, USA.
95 Fundación Mamíferos y Conservación, Post Office Box 17-23-055, Quito, Ecuador.
96 IADIZA (The Argentinean Arid Research Institute) – CONICET, Center for Science & Technology Mendoza, CC 507, 5500 – Mendoza, Argentina.
97 Department of Environmental Sciences & Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
98 Russian Bat Research Group, Novocherksassky Prospect, 51-84, St. Petersburg 195196, Russia.
99 Zoology Department, Emílio Goeldi Museum, Avenida Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
100 Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
101 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Datunlu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jan.schipper{at}iucn.org

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