Dataset assembly
The assembled dataset is a synthesis of the last 40 years of research in
the subterranean terrestrial fauna of the Canary Islands (Oromà et al.
2021), consisting of arthropods. The sample effort during this time was
comparable across islands. The lack of records in Lanzarote (including
La Graciosa) corresponds to a real absence of such subterranean fauna.
The database includes all published and unpublished records of
subterranean species from both cave and MSS habitats. We collected
functional traits from the original description or relevant references
and, if needed, completed from newly measured specimens. A complete list
of the occurrences, as well as the definition of each trait, the
methodology followed for its measurements, their values and the employed
sources the sources can be found in [Dryad repository].