Data from: The interplay of past diversification and evolutionary isolation with present imperilment across the amphibian tree of life

Human activities continue to erode the tree of life, requiring us to
prioritize research and conservation. Amphibians represent key victims and
bellwethers of global change, and the need for action to conserve them is
drastically outpacing knowledge. We provide a phylogeny incorporating
nearly all extant amphibians (7,238 species). Current amphibian diversity
is composed of both older, depauperate lineages and extensive, more recent
tropical radiations found in select clades. Frog and salamander
diversification increased strongly after the Cretaceous–Palaeogene
boundary, preceded by a potential mass-extinction event in salamanders.
Diversification rates of subterranean caecilians varied little over time.
Biogeographically, the Afro- and Neotropics harbour a particularly high
proportion of Gondwanan relicts, comprising species with high evolutionary
distinctiveness (ED). These high-ED species represent a large portion of
the branches in the present tree: around 28% of all phylogenetic diversity
comes from species in the top 10% of ED. The association between ED and
imperilment is weak, but many species with high ED are now imperilled or
lack formal threat status, suggesting opportunities for integrating
evolutionary position and phylogenetic heritage in addressing the current
extinction crisis. By providing a phylogenetic estimate for extant
amphibians and identifying their threats and ED, we offer a preliminary
basis for a quantitatively informed global approach to conserving the
amphibian tree of life.