Ecological replacements for extinct vertebrates of Pacific Islands

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Summary: This is a dataset of potential ecological replacements for vertebrates that have become globally extinct on Pacific Islands* since first human settlement. For each extinct species, we provide information about the selection process for choosing an ecological replacement. Where a suitable replacement could be identified, the selection process determined the most morphologically similar extant species sharing an extinct species’ ecological role and niche. The dataset provides the replacement species, its geographic range, and the reasons for its selection. It also describes the taxonomic closeness between extinct species and their replacements, and identifies the geographically closest source population that could potentially be used for a conservation translocation to the extinct species’ range is presented.

* The Pacific Islands that were considered are those islands that were not connected to a continent during the last glacial maximum within Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Hawaii, plus Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands (Australia) and Easter Island (Chile).

Authors: Dawlings F. M. E., Southwell D. M., Griffin A. S., Wilson M., McGregor N. A., Clarke R. H., Andersen A. H., Hayward M. W.

Funding: This project is jointly funded by the Australian Government under the National Environmental Science Program, the Director of National Parks, and The University of Newcastle.