Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
PLoS One. 2011;6(7):e22531. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022531. Epub 2011 Jul 27.
Each year, numerous species thought to have disappeared are rediscovered. Yet, do these rediscoveries represent the return of viable populations or the delayed extinction of doomed species? We document the number, distribution and conservation status of rediscovered amphibian, bird, and mammal species globally. Over the past 122 years, at least 351 species have been rediscovered, most occurring in the tropics. These species, on average, were missing for 61 years before being rediscovered (range of 3-331 years). The number of rediscoveries per year increased over time and the majority of these rediscoveries represent first documentations since their original description. Most rediscovered species have restricted ranges and small populations, and 92% of amphibians, 86% of birds, and 86% of mammals are highly threatened, independent of how long they were missing or when they were rediscovered. Under the current trends of widespread habitat loss, particularly in the tropics, most rediscovered species remain on the brink of extinction.
每年都有大量被认为已经消失的物种被重新发现。然而，这些重新发现代表着有生存能力的种群的回归，还是注定灭绝的物种的延迟灭绝？我们记录了在全球范围内重新发现的两栖动物、鸟类和哺乳动物的数量、分布和保护状况。在过去的 122 年中，至少有 351 种物种被重新发现，其中大多数发生在热带地区。这些物种在被重新发现之前平均消失了 61 年（范围为 3-331 年）。每年重新发现的物种数量随着时间的推移而增加，其中大多数是自最初描述以来的首次记录。大多数重新发现的物种分布范围有限，种群数量较少，92%的两栖动物、86%的鸟类和 86%的哺乳动物受到高度威胁，无论它们消失了多长时间或何时被重新发现。在目前广泛的栖息地丧失的趋势下，特别是在热带地区，大多数重新发现的物种仍然濒临灭绝。
