Abstract
The risk of global extinction of reef-building coral species is increasing.We evaluated extinction risk using a biological trait-based resiliency index that was compared with Caribbean extinction during the Plio-Pleistocene, andwith extinction risk determined by the International Union forConservation ofNature (IUCN).Through the Plio-Pleistocene, the Caribbean supported more diverse coral assemblages than today and shared considerable overlap with contemporary Indo-Pacific reefs. A clear association was found between extant Plio- Pleistocene coral genera and our positive resilience scores. Regional extinction in the past and vulnerability in the present suggests that Pocillopora, Stylophora and foliose Pavona are among the most susceptible taxa to local and regional isolation. These same taxawere among themost abundant corals in theCaribbean Pliocene. Therefore, awidespread distribution did not equatewith immunity to regional extinction. The strong relationship between past and present vulnerability suggests that regional extinction events are trait-based and not merely random episodes. We found several inconsistencies between our data and the IUCN scores, which suggest a need to critically re-examine what constitutes coral vulnerability.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2448-2456 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
Volume | 279 |
Issue number | 1737 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 22 2012 |
Keywords
- Biological trait
- Coral
- Extinction risk
- Plio-Pleistocene
- Resilience
- Vulnerability
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Immunology and Microbiology(all)
- Environmental Science(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)