Canada might want to look into swapping the image of a beaver on the nickel for a turtle. In a first-of-its kind study, researchers have determined that the spiny softshell turtle—an unusual looking critter with a leathery shell and a tube-shaped nose—is the most distinctly Canadian animal.
The research team from Simon Fraser University and non-profit organization Wildlife Preservation Canada analyzed Canadian’s terrestrial vertebrates—animals with backbones that live on land—to determine which species were the most evolutionary distinct.
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Of the list of Canadian terrestrial vertebrate, which included 222 mammals, 674 birds, 48 amphibians, and 49 reptiles, Canadian turtles proved to be one-of-a-kind. While the spiny softshell turtle was determined to be the most evolutionary distinct species in the country, the common snapping turtle took second place in the rankings, and the leatherback sea turtle took fourth.
The research team came up with the rankings by looking at Canada’s Tree of Life: a representation of the diversity of species connected by branching pathways illustrating their evolutionary relationships.
“Evolutionary isolation answers the question of how much evolutionary history a species shares with other species,” says Emma Kominek, a graduate student at Simon Fraser University and the lead author for the study. “In other words, how much of the Tree of Life would we lose if a species were to disappear from that tree?”
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Amphibians and reptiles overall proved to be some of Canada’s most evolutionary distinct species. Kominek was not surprised to see turtles and their fellow ectotherms secure the top spots.
“Most of our country is quite cold, and we don’t have as many reptiles and amphibians as we do other groups,” says Kominek. “They’re from really old lineages, and each represent large, irreplaceable portions of our natural history.”
Unfortunately, reptiles and amphibians are also the most endangered groups of species in Canada. The spiny softshell turtle and snapping turtle, the two most distinctly Canadian creatures, are both species at risk.
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The common snapping turtle is not only Canada’s second most isolated turtle, it’s also the world’s most isolated turtle species, says Kominek. “They are this incredible species that represents 120 million years of Canada’s history that no other species shares. Because they are isolated, they represent this unique part of Canada’s Tree of Life.”
Common snapping turtles aren’t just special because they are unique; they’re also important for our ecosystems, says Kominek. “They maintain healthy, fresh waterways in southern Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec. They scavenge for dead and decaying matter and keep our waterways clean of diseases and bacteria.”
The research also offers new criteria for allocating conservation funds and resources. Organizations operate on limited resources and have to make difficult decisions about which species at risk are prioritized first for conservation attention, says Kominek.
“We hope that this can be a tool to be used alongside other criteria,” she says. “Knowing which species represents a more irreplaceable part of Canada’s natural heritage might help in deciding what species to invest conservation towards first.”
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