Drivers of Taxonomic Bias in Ecology and Evolution: Insights From Ethologists and Behavioural Ecologists
- 1Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Kensington New South Wales Australia
Abstract
Taxonomic bias, that is, the disproportionate attention given to some taxa relative to their diversity, continues to hinder innovation and the pursuit of generality in ecology and evolution. Yet, the factors shaping ecologists' and evolutionary biologists' choices of study organisms mostly remain a mystery. We propose a framework explaining researchers' taxonomic choices along three major axes, supported by evidence from a preregistered survey of 868 researchers' experiences. First, rational considerations, such as logistical ease and societal relevance, were associated with the choice of research organisms within major animal groups but rarely across them. Second, contextual factors, like the prominence of certain organisms within peer networks or early‐career exposure to specific taxa, were also associated with researchers' decisions about which organisms to study. Third, emotional factors, including taxonomic affinities, closely mirrored taxonomic patterns in the literature, indicating that they are a major driver of organism choice at broad taxonomic scales. Based on these findings, we suggest actions to mitigate taxonomic bias, including promoting (i) outreach initiatives featuring neglected taxa, (ii) taxonomically equitable education and (iii) taxonomically diverse research experiences.
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BibTeX
@article{pollo2026drivers,
title = {{Drivers of Taxonomic Bias in Ecology and Evolution: Insights From Ethologists and Behavioural Ecologists}},
author = {Pietro Pollo and Michael M. Kasumovic},
journal = {Ecology and evolution},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ece3.74460},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13658930},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Drivers of Taxonomic Bias in Ecology and Evolution: Insights From Ethologists and Behavioural Ecologists
AU - Pietro Pollo
AU - Michael M. Kasumovic
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Ecology and evolution
DO - 10.1002/ece3.74460
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13658930
AB - Taxonomic bias, that is, the disproportionate attention given to some taxa relative to their diversity, continues to hinder innovation and the pursuit of generality in ecology and evolution. Yet, the factors shaping ecologists' and evolutionary biologists' choices of study organisms mostly remain a mystery. We propose a framework explaining researchers' taxonomic choices along three major axes, supported by evidence from a preregistered survey of 868 researchers' experiences. First, rational considerations, such as logistical ease and societal relevance, were associated with the choice of research organisms within major animal groups but rarely across them. Second, contextual factors, like the prominence of certain organisms within peer networks or early‐career exposure to specific taxa, were also associated with researchers' decisions about which organisms to study. Third, emotional factors, including taxonomic affinities, closely mirrored taxonomic patterns in the literature, indicating that they are a major driver of organism choice at broad taxonomic scales. Based on these findings, we suggest actions to mitigate taxonomic bias, including promoting (i) outreach initiatives featuring neglected taxa, (ii) taxonomically equitable education and (iii) taxonomically diverse research experiences.
SN - 2045-7758
ER -