Jonathan Davies

Phylogenetic trees and the future of mammalian biodiversity
T. Jonathan Davies, Susanne A. Fritz, Richard Grenyer, C. David L. Orme, Jon Bielby, Olaf R. P. Bininda-Emonds, Marcel Cardillo, Kate E. Jones, John L. Gittleman, Georgina M. Mace, and Andy Purvis

In this new paper, published in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, we combine phylogenetic, geographic, and trait data, to explore diversity patterns across terrestrial mammals. Recent diversification rates and standing diversity show different geographic patterns, indicating that cradles of diversity have moved over time. Patterns in extinction risk reflect both biological differences among mammalian lineages as well as differences in threat intensity among regions. As a consequence of this uneven distribution of diversity and vulnerability, alternative currencies for conservation can suggest very different priorities. Phylogenetic methods allow us to identify species and regions most vulnerable to current threats, focussing conservation efforts on these taxa and areas may offer the best return per conservation dollar. However, we currently lack critical data on new threats, such as climate change, perhaps the most important future driver of extinctions.

Predicting infectious diseases in wild primates and humans
Jonathan Davies & Amy Pedersen

Primate infectious diseases are most often shared between species which are closely related and inhabit the same geographic region. For humans, this means we may be most vulnerable to diseases from the great apes, which includes chimpanzees and gorillas, because these species represent our closest relatives. Many of the most deadly diseases known to mankind have originated among wild animals, e.g. AIDS and Ebola. Emerging infectious diseases are increasingly impacting human health and species conservation. Our study in Proc. R. Soc. provides a critical first step in predicting when and where a disease first crosses from one species to another.