Abstract
Ecologists have long documented that the world’s biota is spatially organized in regions with boundaries shaped by processes acting on geological and evolutionary timescales. Although growing evidence suggests that human impact has been key in how biodiversity is currently assembled, its role as a driver of the geographical organization of biodiversity remains unclear. Here, we quantify the relative importance of human land use during the Late Holocene to predict the current assemblage of terrestrial mammals in biogeographical regions across the Earth. Results show that human land use 2,000 years ago has left an imprint on the taxonomic differentiation of some of the largest biogeographical realms, whereas land use at present stands out as a driver of the taxonomic differences between medium-sized subregions, i.e., within and among continents. Our findings highlight the far-reaching effect that past anthropogenic actions have had on the organization of biodiversity globally and warn us about future impacts.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
