Asymmetries Challenging Global Biodiversity Sciences

Progress in biodiversity sciences is hampered by asymmetries that affect the growth and management of taxonomic and phylogenetic information, particularly with respect to the distinctive role of Natural History Museums (NHMs) and related institutions that house scientific collections. Here, we address the prevailing global geopolitical dichotomy between the Global North and Global South and the role it plays in biodiversity research in NHMs. We conclude that this geopolitical dichotomy is deeply embedded in Western imperialist worldviews and, when such terminology is adopted uncritically by biodiversity scientists, they inadvertently reinforce a prejudicial and divisive global narrative. With respect to biodiversity research, the rapid development of genomic tools has profoundly expanded its scope, providing unprecedented access to heritable characters and transforming our understanding of evolutionary relationships. This expansion has coincided with a marked reorientation of funding priorities and editorial standards within biodiversity research, increasingly favouring studies that incorporate molecular data over morphology-only or primarily descriptive approaches. While genomics is neither a panacea nor a replacement for other sources of evidence, its prominence has contributed to structural imbalances in how biodiversity research efforts, including those based at NHMs, are supported and evaluated. Within this context, NHMs find themselves at a critical juncture: to be seen as mere repositories of specimens and relics, or to recognize their responsibility to assume a far more transformative role addressing urgent global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality. We propose ways-beyond general biodiversity data-in which NHMs can adapt to these demands to realize their full potential in the modern age regardless of their geopolitical context, and, whenever possible, function together as an integrated whole, a collaborative synergistic network. While reaffirming their core functions as centres of scientific discovery, cultural reflection, and social integration, we emphasize the pressing need for NHMs to redress key challenges, as active participants in global problem-solving.