I am a great fan of the ZSL Edge of Existence website, which lists threatened species in major groups according to their EDGE (Evolutionary Distinctiveness / Global Endangerment) rating. I first discovered it when the reptiles list came out in early 2018. Later in the year, a piece of research analysing how fast mammalian diversity could evolve back after an extinction provided an excuse to have a closer look at the EDGE list of mammals.
My feature is now in the open archives:
Can vanishing wildlife evolve back?
Pangolins are hunted for meat as well as for their skin and scales, which are used in traditional medicine. They are therefore the most trafficked mammals, and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) may be the most endangered among them. (Photo: Ms. Sarita Jnawali of NTNC – Central Zoo.)
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