From cryptic species to biodiversity conservation in China: Status and prospects

Multiple fields of study have benefited by research on cryptic species, including regional estimation of species-level diversity, conservation genetics of endangered species, invasive species identification and control, and disease prevention. Recent advancements in molecular technology have contributed to the unveiling of cryptic diversity, improving our understanding of life on Earth and influencing guidelines for conservation. In this study, we briefly introduced the concept of cryptic species and hypotheses on the mechanism of evolution and summarized recent advancements in various molecular tools. Additionally, we reported the current research status with regard to cryptic species discovery in China. Future studies are required to solve problems associated with the discovery of cryptic species, especially in large-scale regional biodiversity assessment, which has not been evaluated much in China. In addition, the mechanism of morphological conservatism in cryptic species should also be studied further.