Holt, B.G., Lessard, J.P., Borregaard, M.K., Fritz, S.A., Araújo, M.B., Dimitrov, D., Fabre, P.H., Graham, C.H., Graves, G.R., . Jønsson, K.A., Nogués-Bravo, D., Wang, Z., Whittaker, R.J., Fjeldså, J., Rahbek, C.

Modern attempts to produce biogeographic maps focus on the distribution of species, and the
maps are typically drawn without phylogenetic considerations. Here, we generate a global map
of zoogeographic regions by combining data on the distributions and phylogenetic relationships of
21,037 species of amphibians, birds, and mammals. We identify 20 distinct zoogeographic regions,
which are grouped into 11 larger realms. We document the lack of support for several regions
previously defined based on distributional data and show that spatial turnover in the phylogenetic
composition of vertebrate assemblages is higher in the Southern than in the Northern Hemisphere. We
further show that the integration of phylogenetic information provides valuable insight on historical
relationships among regions, permitting the identification of evolutionarily unique regions of the world.