Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters
Abstract: As species become very rare and approach extinction, purported sightings can stir controversy, especially when scarce management resources are at stake. We used quantitative methods to identify reports that do not fit prior sighting patterns. We also examined the effects of including recor...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1523-1739.2009.01292.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x/fullpdf |
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x 2024-06-02T08:06:11+00:00 Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters ROBERTS, DAVID L. ELPHICK, CHRIS S. REED, J. MICHAEL 2010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1523-1739.2009.01292.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x/fullpdf en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Conservation Biology volume 24, issue 1, page 189-196 ISSN 0888-8892 1523-1739 journal-article 2010 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x 2024-05-03T11:43:55Z Abstract: As species become very rare and approach extinction, purported sightings can stir controversy, especially when scarce management resources are at stake. We used quantitative methods to identify reports that do not fit prior sighting patterns. We also examined the effects of including records that meet different evidentiary standards on quantitative extinction assessments for four charismatic bird species that might be extinct: Eskimo Curlew ( Numenius borealis ), Ivory‐billed Woodpecker ( Campephilus principalis ), Nukupu`u ( Hemignathus lucidus ), and O`ahu `Alauahio ( Paroreomyza maculata ). For all four species the probability of there being a valid sighting today, given the past pattern of verified sightings, was estimated to be very low. The estimates of extinction dates and the chance of new sightings, however, differed considerably depending on the criteria used for data inclusion. When a historical sighting record lacked long periods without sightings, the likelihood of new sightings declined quickly with time since the last confirmed sighting. For species with this type of historical record, therefore, new reports should meet an especially high burden of proof to be acceptable. Such quantitative models could be incorporated into the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List criteria to set evidentiary standards required for unconfirmed sightings of “possibly extinct” species and to standardize extinction assessments across species. Article in Journal/Newspaper eskimo* Wiley Online Library Conservation Biology 24 1 189 196 |
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Abstract: As species become very rare and approach extinction, purported sightings can stir controversy, especially when scarce management resources are at stake. We used quantitative methods to identify reports that do not fit prior sighting patterns. We also examined the effects of including records that meet different evidentiary standards on quantitative extinction assessments for four charismatic bird species that might be extinct: Eskimo Curlew ( Numenius borealis ), Ivory‐billed Woodpecker ( Campephilus principalis ), Nukupu`u ( Hemignathus lucidus ), and O`ahu `Alauahio ( Paroreomyza maculata ). For all four species the probability of there being a valid sighting today, given the past pattern of verified sightings, was estimated to be very low. The estimates of extinction dates and the chance of new sightings, however, differed considerably depending on the criteria used for data inclusion. When a historical sighting record lacked long periods without sightings, the likelihood of new sightings declined quickly with time since the last confirmed sighting. For species with this type of historical record, therefore, new reports should meet an especially high burden of proof to be acceptable. Such quantitative models could be incorporated into the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List criteria to set evidentiary standards required for unconfirmed sightings of “possibly extinct” species and to standardize extinction assessments across species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
ROBERTS, DAVID L. ELPHICK, CHRIS S. REED, J. MICHAEL |
spellingShingle |
ROBERTS, DAVID L. ELPHICK, CHRIS S. REED, J. MICHAEL Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters |
author_facet |
ROBERTS, DAVID L. ELPHICK, CHRIS S. REED, J. MICHAEL |
author_sort |
ROBERTS, DAVID L. |
title |
Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters |
title_short |
Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters |
title_full |
Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters |
title_fullStr |
Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Identifying Anomalous Reports of Putatively Extinct Species and Why It Matters |
title_sort |
identifying anomalous reports of putatively extinct species and why it matters |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1523-1739.2009.01292.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x/fullpdf |
genre |
eskimo* |
genre_facet |
eskimo* |
op_source |
Conservation Biology volume 24, issue 1, page 189-196 ISSN 0888-8892 1523-1739 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01292.x |
container_title |
Conservation Biology |
container_volume |
24 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
189 |
op_container_end_page |
196 |
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1800751099381022720 |