It runs in the family: New extinct species from charismatic clades are more likely to be published in high-impact journals than those from non-charismatic clades
The cultural landscape of paleontology is dominated by dinosaurs and a few other charismatic clades that are more likely to be depicted in media and to be recognized by the public. There is a prevailing belief among researchers that these biases extend to scholarly publishing - that certain clades enjoy a 'taxonomic advantage' that renders them more likely to be published in high-impact journals…
A recent study has found that species from charismatic clades, such as dinosaurs, are more likely to be published in high-impact scientific journals like Nature and Science compared to species from less charismatic clades. This perceived taxonomic advantage in scholarly publishing may lead to a skewed distribution of opportunities and knowledge generation, favoring the charismatic clades at the expense of less charismatic ones.
The researchers analyzed articles from 2000 to mid-2026 in 13 journals, spanning high-profile multidisciplinary journals to more specialized ones. They discovered a strong correlation between a journal's prestige, measured by its impact factor, and the proportion of new species belonging to charismatic clades. For instance, avemetatarsalians and mammaliamorphs made up over 50% of new species in Nature and Science, but less than 15% in the control group of paleontological journals.
This bias in favor of charismatic clades has the potential to create a competitive landscape where opportunities and knowledge generation become increasingly concentrated, hindering the discipline's ability to maintain a comprehensive understanding of the history of life. The study highlights the need for further investigation into potential biases in paleontological publications, as they are a crucial element in the academic field.
Written by urgent.news from bioRxiv's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
