DNA Tool Transforms Nature Tracking

[maximus otter]

In their search for pink river dolphins, researchers in the Peruvian Amazon scooped up river water sloshing with genetic material that they hoped could trace the elusive creatures.

They found what they were looking for. And then some.

The environmental DNA collected yielded information on 675 species, including dozens of land-based mammals like deer, jaguar, giant anteaters, monkeys and 25 species of bat.

"It's kind of mind blowing," said Kat Bruce, founder of the eDNA firm NatureMetrics, which carried out the study for the wildlife charity WWF.

The technology is increasingly used to track rare species.

Bruce hopes eDNA will help revolutionise the way the world measures and monitors nature.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-ne...-of-water-dna-tool-transforms-nature-tracking

maximus otter

 

[kamalktk]

Scientists can now get environmental DNA from footprints, the air.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/health/human-dna-captured-from-air-scn/index.html
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They also retrieved DNA from footprints made in sand by four volunteers. With permission, they were able to sequence part of the participants’ genomes. Next, the researchers took samples of air from a 280-square-foot room in an animal clinic where six people worked as they went about their normal daily routines. The team recovered DNA that matched the staff volunteers, animal patients and common animal viruses.

 

[flannel]

The death knell for physical cryptozoology?

 

[Ermintruder]

The death knell for physical cryptozoology?

One of the first high-profile public media statements regarding the capabilities of this species identification via environmental trace for eDNA was made number of years ago, in the context of Loch Ness.

The technology has evidently developed quite a bit over time (see below a link to an NIH paper from 2008) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/environmental_dna

 

[gordonrutter]

The death knell for physical cryptozoology?

Not at all. Just another tool in the armoury.

 

[kamalktk]

Since it's better here than the Bigfoot thread, a quick web search search shows that eDNA pricing is under $3,000 a test, making it within range of the dedicated researcher who lacks in tv show level funding.

While the coverage range of the tests are fairly small in area and time frame, there are cryptozoological sightings with precisely known locations, which should allow good selection of eDNA test locations.