 The uneven distribution of knowledge about biodiversity across the tree of life affects our understanding of life on earth, policy decisions, and funding allocation for research and conservation. Sociocultural factors, such as a species usefulness or common name, are the most important correlates of scientific and societal interest in biodiversity. Large-bodied, broadly distributed and taxonomically unique species receive more attention, while colourfulness and phylogenetic proximity to humans correlate exclusively with societal attention. These results suggest that we may be missing out on key species in our research and conservation agenda due to cultural biases. This article was authored by Stefano Mamola, Martino Ademo, Drogon Antic, and others.