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The world's smallest amphibians may have the biggest risk of dying out

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Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Smaller amphibian species are more likely than larger ones to be at risk of extinction, according to an Australian study based on computer modelling. This is in contrast to mammals, where larger species are at higher risk of dying out than smaller ones. The littlest amphibians may be at higher risk than their larger cousins because they occur across smaller areas, or because of their highly specialised environmental requirements, the author says. The findings support calls for a renewed conservation focus on the world's smallest frog species, he adds.

Journal/conference: Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Research: Paper

Organisation/s: The Australian National University

Funder: This research was supported by the Research School of Biology, Australian National University.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Clarifying the relationship between body size and extinction risk in amphibians by complete mapping of model space

In vertebrate animals, it is often the larger species that are most threatened with extinction. In amphibians, this pattern is less clear, and it has been suggested that species of smaller size may in fact be more vulnerable to human impacts. By borrowing new analytical methods from the social sciences, this study shows that smaller amphibian species are indeed more likely to be threatened. This unusual pattern may be the result of the smaller distributions of small species or the unique ecology and threats faced by amphibians. These results support calls for a renewed conservation focus on the world's smallest frog species. 

Short straw - The smallest amphibians are at greatest risk of extinction. Unlike mammals, where the largest individuals are particularly threatened, this modelling study calls a renewed conservation focus on the world's smallest amphibians.

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