Authors: Evans, Thomas;

Some species that are lost to science are rediscovered. These species are sometimes referred to as Lazarus taxon. The frequency of these rediscoveries is increasing over time, which suggests there are more missing species that may be rediscovered. As these missing species tend to be highly threatened, it is important that we find them and develop measures to protect them before they disappear forever.
There has been no global review of the spatial, temporal and taxonomic distribution of missing and rediscovered terrestrial vertebrate species. Yet understanding their distribution may improve our ability to find missing species. Through a literature review and consultation with members of the IUCN SSC and Re:wild, we build a database of missing and rediscovered species. We use this database to identify broad patterns in their distribution. For each missing and rediscovered species, we then collect data on a series of variables in order to identify factors that influence the rediscovery of missing species.
Our global maps reveal regions which may be hotspots for future rediscoveries. Larger species and those with broad habitat preferences are more likely to be rediscovered, whilst those threatened by alien species are less likely to be rediscovered.