Parachute Science Continues to Prevail in Global South Biodiversity Studies

Explore

MMore than a million species have been described by science, but experts predict that they represent less than 15 percent of the total species on Earth. This leaves many species to be discovered and named.

Most new animal species appear in the “South,” a loosely defined group of less industrialized countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. But a new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports that scientists in the most industrialized countries are taking the initiative to publish new descriptions of species.

It is not surprising that, under historic colonial rule, costly scientific exploration expeditions were led primarily by Europeans. Many countries in the Global South are former European colonies, and access to scientific careers was limited for residents of these countries. Typically, foreign researchers were “parachuted in” (going on site for limited periods of time to collect and catalog nature). Although local people are known for guiding European explorers to the natural biota of their regions, they have rarely been recognized for their work, let alone recognized as co-authors in the scientific literature.

Read more: »Why do taxonomists write the meanest obituaries?»

Science has been conducted this way for generations and this trend continues in the 21st century, according to Brazilian researchers from the State University of Campinas, the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) and the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Piauí. The researchers mined scientific literature from 20 years (2003 to 2022) of published work to find new species descriptions. Focusing on terrestrial molluscs, such as snails and slugs, a total of 3,272 new species were described during this period, more than two-thirds (68%) of which inhabit the Global South. Yet researchers from the global South participated in only a third of the new descriptions, while researchers from the Global North were featured in more than three-quarters of the publications announcing the findings.

Clearly, “parachute science” is still alive and well, the authors say, with most descriptions of species in the Global South excluding resident researchers from publishing results. Even when resident researchers were included, they were only first authors in 27.3% of cases. The United States leads the pack when it comes to discoveries of new species abroad without the involvement of resident researchers.

This parachute approach, although capitalizing on the greater academic resources available in the North, does not reflect the best of science. The new study determined that research rigor is enhanced by the inclusion of at least one resident researcher from the country where a new species is discovered. National scientists bring expertise and perspectives that cannot simply be parachuted in.

“Skydiving science is a practice that harms not only local researchers, but also science in general. Less robust studies could have their results invalidated in the future,” study coordinator and UFPB ecologist Mario Moura said in a statement. “This could delay conservation efforts, which require accurate and stable information. »

Thus, at least for the identification of new mollusc species, it is high time to support international collaborations benefiting from a synergy of local and foreign knowledge, skills and resources.

Enjoy Nautilus? Subscribe for free to our newsletter.

Main image: creativebucket / Shutterstock

• Devin Reese

  Published on December 18, 2025

  Devin Reese is the editor-in-chief of Natural history and a science writer based in Alexandria, Virginia.