Local expertise anchors biodiversity documentation, but geopolitical power drives parachute discovery

Abstract Global biodiversity documentation is hampered by several factors, including the inequitable distribution of holotypes—critical reference specimens for the description of new species. While 95% of post-1990 mammal discoveries originated in the Global South, 60% of their holotypes are housed abroad, primarily in Global North institutions. Wealthier nations extract holotype specimens disproportionately, especially from biodiverse regions with weak environmental policies, despite stronger local academic capacity improving retention. Addressing these disparities requires changes in structures, rules, and functioning of institutions to empower biodiverse nations to document their own species, alongside frameworks for more equitable knowledge exchange.