Study Reveals Majority of New Mammal Species Specimens from Global South Archived in Wealthier Nations
A new study has highlighted a significant imbalance in the archiving of mammal species specimens, revealing that 60% of holotypes for new mammal species discovered in the Global South between 1990 and 2025 are stored in wealthier Global North countries. The study, published in the journal npj Biodiversity, examined 1,116 mammal species and found that while 95% of these species are native to regions like Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, their defining specimens are predominantly housed in Europe and North America. This pattern is much weaker for species native to the Global North, where only 22% of holotypes are stored outside their country of origin, typically remaining within the same geopolitical sphere. Mario Moura, a professor at the Federal University of Paraíba and the study's first author, expressed surprise at the high figures for mammals compared to other animal groups, noting that this trend continues despite the end of colonial eras. 
