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Summary Biodiversity knowledge gaps and biases persist across low-income tropical regions. Genetic data are essential for addressing these issues, supporting biodiversity research and conservation planning. To assess progress in wildlife genetic sampling within the Philippines, I evaluated the scope, representativeness, and growth of publicly available genetic data and research on endemic vertebrates from the 1990s through 2024. Results showed that 82.3% of the Philippines’ 769 endemic vertebrates have genetic data, although major disparities remain. Reptiles had the least complete coverage but exhibited the highest growth, with birds, mammals, and amphibians following in that order. Species confined to smaller biogeographic subregions, with narrow geographic ranges, or classified as threatened or lacking threat assessments were disproportionately underrepresented. Research output on reptiles increased markedly, while amphibian research lagged behind. Although the number of non-unique authors in wildlife genetics studies involving Philippine specimens has grown steeply, Filipino involvement remains low. These results highlight the uneven and non-random distribution of wildlife genetic knowledge within this global biodiversity hotspot. Moreover, the limited participation of Global South researchers underscores broader inequities in wildlife genomics. Closing these gaps and addressing biases creates a more equitable and representative genetic knowledge base and supports its integration into national conservation efforts aligned with global biodiversity commitments.
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This content will become publicly available on February 28, 2026
Global Availability of Plant DNA Barcodes as Genomic Resources to Support Basic and Policy‐Relevant Biodiversity Research
ABSTRACT Genetic technologies such as DNA barcoding make it easier and less expensive to monitor biodiversity and its associated ecosystem services, particularly in biodiversity hotspots where traditional assessments are challenging. Successful use of these data‐driven technologies, however, requires access to appropriate reference data. We reviewed the >373,584 reference plant DNA barcodes in public repositories and found that they cumulatively cover a remarkable quarter of the ~435,000 extant land plant species (Embryophyta). Nevertheless, coverage gaps in tropical biodiversity hotspots reflect well‐documented biases in biodiversity science – most reference specimens originated in the Global North. Currently, at least 17% of plant families lack any reference barcode data whatsoever, affecting tropical and temperate regions alike. Investigators often emphasise the importance of marker choice and the need to ensure protocols are technically capable of detecting and identifying a broad range of taxa. Yet persistent geographic and taxonomic gaps in the reference datasets show that these protocols rely upon risk undermining all downstream applications of the strategy, ranging from basic biodiversity monitoring to policy‐relevant objectives – such as the forensic authentication of materials in illegal trade. Future networks of investigators could work strategically to improve data coverage, which will be essential in global efforts to conserve biodiversity while advancing more fair and equitable access to benefits arising from genetic resources.
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- PAR ID:
- 10576466
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Molecular Ecology
- Volume:
- 34
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0962-1083
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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