Biodiversity at the species level

Insects: 750,000?

Plants: 250,000

Vertebrates: 41,000

Mammals: 4,000

Birds: 9,000

Bony fish: 18,000

Reptiles: 6,000

Amphibians: 4,000

? 1.5 million described

Estimated total number of species on earth:

minimum 10 million

maximum 50 million

Erwin 1983: 30 million

best guess: 10-50 million

22A

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