Sucking DNA Out of The Sky Could Help Us to Identify And Save Endangered Species

[Judi Lynn]

PETER DOCKRILL 10 JANUARY 2022

The air around us carries detectable traces of animals living in our midst, scientists have found, and the discovery stands to revolutionize the way researchers monitor and track populations of vulnerable or endangered species.

In two new studies conducted by separate teams of scientists, researchers discovered that environmental DNA (eDNA) shed by living creatures can be identified thanks to vacuum devices that capture and filter airborne samples in places inhabited by animals.

"We were astonished when we saw the results," says evolutionary genomics researcher Kristine Bohmann from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

"In just 40 samples, we detected 49 species spanning mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, and fish."

Bohmann's team, which took their air samples at three different locations in the Copenhagen Zoo, not only detected eDNA from animals living in the facility, but also animals living outside it – and even genetic traces of meat fed to some of the zoo animals, such as chicken and beef.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/sucking-dna-out-of-the-sky-could-help-us-to-identify-and-save-endangered-species

[intrepidity]

1. I wonder what the paper would say if they had gotten a negative result

That's the weird thing about research.

Anyway, interesting. Never even heard of "eDNA".