Abstract

We present the first broad-scale investigation of patterns of diversification and extinction risk in crayfish, using taxonomic and comparative phylogenetic analyses. We found that small body size and the propensity for habitat shifts tend to be associated with elevated species richness, while burrowing and cave dwelling appear to limit diversification rates relative to stream dwelling. However, and despite their greater success at past diversification, small-bodied crayfish display higher susceptibility to contemporary threatening processes. In contrast to the body size results, cave dwellers were identified as being sensitive to both past and contemporary extinction and thus may be in particular need of conservation attention. We also discuss the interesting phylogenetic tree shape observed in crayfish and the potential for crayfish to contribute significantly to macroevolutionary study.

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