Species traits predict extinction risk across the Tree of Life

Biodiversity is eroding at unprecedented rates due to human activity1. Species trajectories towards extinction are shaped by multiple factors, including life-history traits2 as well as human pressures3. Previous studies linking these factors to extinction risk have been narrow in their taxonomic and geographic scope4, thus limiting the ability for identifying global predictors. We studied the relation between 12 traits and the extinction risk of almost 900 species representing 15 groups across the tree of life (vertebrates, invertebrates and plants) at a global scale. We show that threatened species share narrow habitat breadth, poor dispersal ability, low fecundity, small altitudinal range, and are affected by a large human footprint. Other traits either show contrasting responses among groups (body size, offspring size, and change in human footprint), or relations were found for only a limited number of taxa (generation length, diet breadth, microhabitat). Our study suggests that in the absence of data on the precise distribution and population trends of species, traits can be used as predictors of extinction risk and thus help guide future research, monitoring and conservation efforts.