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] have started an important conversation about why evolutionary diversity (ED) is so little used in practical nature conservation. We focus on three issues from their commentary.(i) Does ED matter for conservation?(ii) If so, how should we quantify it?(iii) Depending on the answers to the first two, what can be done to increase ED use?

Winter et al. conclude that ED is too weak a correlate of functional diversity or evolutionary potential, and that its best use is as a surrogate for rarity and conservation status. This correlational argument is common (we have made it ourselves) but it is also false. ED need not be a surrogate for other metrics of biodiversity because it is a fundamental measure of biodiversity. It is certainly a better measure than unranked species richness. The original line of argument [