Abstract
Did you know that scientists can use DNA to discover which organisms have been in an area? Organisms leave DNA behind the environment. We call this Environmental DNA (Edna). The use of Edna is a new technique that scientists have used in water environments. We wanted to find out if this same technique could work to find species on land.
We collect soil samples containing EDNA of golden moles in the western part of southern Africa. These mammals are difficult to observe because they live underground and some species are rare. People believed that a species, Winton’s golden mole, could be extinct. We extrajust Edna from soil samples. Then we compare the DNA samples with DNA that we collect from golden moles and databases. We discover that the four species of golden mole live in this region of Africa. That means we can use Edna to find rare animals in Earth’s environments. It also means that Winton’s golden mole is not extinct!
#detect #rare #animals
