Most mammal species discovered in the Global South since 1990 end up in Northern collections
According to a study by Brazilian scientists published in the journal npj Biodiversity, most new mammal species described over the past 35 years are housed in institutions in countries of the so-called Global North, even though the vast majority were discovered in poor or developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
Researchers have uncovered a troubling disparity in the storage of newly discovered mammal species since 1990. A study published in npj Biodiversity reveals that 95% of the 1,116 mammal species identified during this period originate from the Global South, yet a staggering 60% of these species' holotypes are held primarily in Northern collections.
The remaining 22% of species described in the North have their holotypes housed domestically. This imbalance highlights the repercussions of geopolitical and socioeconomic inequalities on scientific activity and biodiversity knowledge. The majority of mammal holotypes stored in the Global North were collected elsewhere, while the situation in the Global South is less pronounced, with only 8% of holotypes deposited outside their country of origin.
These findings underscore the ongoing issue of scientific neocolonialism, where foreign scientists often collect biological materials from developing countries and deposit them in their home institutions, frequently without involving local researchers. This phenomenon, known as "parachute science," is particularly prevalent in the study of mammals compared to other groups like freshwater fish or reptiles.
The study's authors emphasize that the persistence of this practice contributes to the persistence of disparities in scientific research and knowledge generation.
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