A new method of identifying elusive mammals, using DNA found in river water, may improve how scientists monitor species, researchers in Britain announced.

Ecologists from five British universities and one Norwegian university collaborated with researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study if environmental DNA, or eDNA, can be used as a monitoring tool to observe elusive and endangered species.

"Some mammal species are notoriously difficult to monitor," said UMass environmental conservation student Joseph Drake. "We knew the potential of eDNA was massive, but when it comes to conservation, it is extremely important that we validate new approaches, and that's what we set out to do in this study."

Environmental DNA methods could revolutionize conservation and ecology research, UMass researcher Christopher Sutherland added. DNA shed from animals eventually is found in rivers, and provides a quick portrait of the local mammal community.

"We currently use many ways of detecting and monitoring mammals, from looking for signs such as footprints or feces, to using camera traps to take photos of them over several weeks," said Allan McDivitt of the University of Salford. "Now, we may just simply need to collect a few bottles of water and take it to the laboratory and look at the DNA we find."

Researchers collected water and sediment from streams and rivers in Scotland and England, and found DNA from over 20 wild British mammals. They concluded that the method offered "similar or better performance" compared to the more-costly use of camera traps or detection of field evidence.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Universities of Salford, Aberdeen, Hull, Liverpool John Moore and Sheffield in England and Scotland, and Norway's University of Tromso participated in the study. It was reported earlier this week in the Journal of Applied Ecology, published by the British Ecological Society.

Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Soldier ants prove evolution sometimes works in reverse
Washington DC (UPI) Mar 10, 2020
Turtle ant soldiers have evolved a unique defensive strategy. These gate guards use their comically large heads to block entrances to their nests. Some ants have round heads, like a manhole cover, ideal for blocking a small round entrance. Other ants, with square heads, congregate to form a blockade, like the wall of overlapping shields formed by Spartan armies. Turtle ant soldiers seem like a perfect example of evolutionary specialization. The many species of the turtle ant genus occupy ... read more