DNA Through Air: Scientists Propose New Way of Tracking Endangered Animals in the Wild

The National Wildlife Federation said that America holds a remarkable array of plant and animal species that have not fared well over the past decades and have been suffering from habitat loss, the spread of invasive species, ad other threats. Many of them became endangered species due to their low population that they are no longer seen so much. But scientists have found that tracking their DNA in the air might help.

"Vacuuming DNA in the Air" Could Help Track Endangered Species

A few years ago, Danish researchers presented in their study, titled "Environmental DNA for Wildlife Biology and Biodiversity Monitoring," published in the journal Cell, an unusual idea to track where endangered species live. According to the researchers, knowing where these animals are will help conserve and prevent extinction.

Kristine Bohmann, an associate professor of the University of Copenhagen's Section for Evolutionary Genomics, told senior editor and correspondent of NPR that a crazier way, like vacuuming animal DNA out of thin air, could be the solution in finding those endangered animals.

Brumfiel commented that the idea sounded crazy, but the project soon got funding and took off, so scientists in the team went to work on the research. Bohmann narrated that the first obstacle they faced was figuring out how to vacuum DNA out of thin air like people usually do when cleaning.

But then they thought they must first look for a place rich in animal DNA to vacuum, preferably enclosed spaces, for their experiment to succeed. That is when they thought of the Copenhagen Zoo, which was custom built for the experiment and house non-native animals, so they stick out in the DNA experiment.

The team took samples from the zoo and was shocked to detect 49 animal species, such as rhinos, giraffes, elephants, and even the guppy living in the pond in the rainforest. They were mindblown by their results that a team from York University in Toronto, Canada, reached out to her team because they also did the same thing at a zoo in the UK.

The two groups decided to publish their findings as a pair and independently confirm their work from each other and everybody else to make a stronger case together. But they also acknowledged that there are still a lot of unanswered questions left. Although they believe that the application of this study could come in the form of global biomonitoring of endangered animals. Below is a video of how researchers vacuum DNA out of thin air.

Protecting Endangered Animals

The Endangered Species Coalition has listed ten things that the public can do to help conserve endangered animals and prevent their total extinction. These are the following:

1. Know which animals in your area are considered endangered species.
2. Get involved in volunteering to protect these species by visiting national wildlife refuges or parks.
3. Make sure that your hoes are wildlife-friendly.
4. Attract native insects to help pollinate plants.
5. Reduce herbicides and pesticides as they are hazardous pollutants that affect wildlife.
6. Be careful when driving, especially in developed areas.
7. Buy sustainable products and practice recycling.
8. Do not buy products made from endangered species or those that threaten them.
9. Please do not shoot, trap, or force an endangered species into captivity because it is illegal and can lead to extinction.
10. Protect wildlife from widespread habitat loss.

Check out more news and information on Endangered Animals in Science Times.