Evolutionary Distinctiveness: A conservation tool for protecting Canada’s most unique species
When we talk about conserving species, we often think of those most at risk—species on the brink of extinction. But what if there was a way to prioritize species based not only on how endangered they are but also on how unique they are?
Canada is home to some truly unique animals that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. However, this can make things difficult when tasked with the mission of identifying the most unique animals in the country. This is the task that researchers at Wildlife Preservation Canada and Simon Fraser University set out to accomplish, using an evolutionary perspective to compare different species. Using this information, Wildlife Preservation Canada can help determine which species to start working to save.
What is evolutionary distinctiveness?
Evolutionary distinctiveness describes the uniqueness of a species’ evolutionary history on the Tree of Life compared to other species. The researchers at Simon Fraser university have been involved in calculating evolutionary distinctiveness scores at a global scale in partnership with the Zoological Society of London’s Edge of Existence program (www.edgeofexistence.org). For this new national project, the researchers looked at several groups of animals in Canada: mammals, birds, turtles, snakes and lizards, and amphibians. They then compared the species in these groups and mapped out their family trees to see how they related to all the other species in Canada. Species with higher ED values are those that have fewer close relatives in Canada and more unique evolutionary history in millions of years.
Canada’s most evolutionarily distinct animals
So, which Canadian species were the most distinct? You might want to answer with one of Canada’s iconic species like the national animal – the beaver – or perhaps the moose, or the polar bear. But, as a matter of fact, the most evolutionarily distinct Canadian animal was the spiny softshell turtle!
The spiny softshell turtle is certainly a peculiar-looking species with its flexible, leathery shell and long, snorkel-like snout. These turtles can be found in Ontario and Quebec, and are one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. But unfortunately, they have been listed as one of Canada’s rarest species for over 20 years. Conservation groups have worked hard to protect and recover these endangered turtles, but it has been challenging with all the threats they face, including habitat destruction and poaching. . Now, we know that if we let them disappear from Canada, we would lose almost 180 million years of unique evolutionary history. This shows how important it is to prioritize the conservation of this species and its unique legacy amongst Canadian wildlife.
