Phylogeny and biodiversity: Conserving our evolutionary legacy

Trends Ecol Evol. 1992 Feb;7(2):55-9. doi: 10.1016/0169-5347(92)90107-M.

Abstract

Historical ecological studies provide information about the origins of species in an area and the origins of traits characterizing the interactions between those species and their environment. Incorporating this evolutionary information into conservation policies will broaden the base of options for making effective decisions about the preservation of biodiversity.