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DNA found inside the guts of dung beetles, such as the giant flattened dung beetle, could one day be used to infer a region’s biodiversity. Vincent Grafhorst/Minden Pictures
Humble dung beetles may be ideal DNA detectors for animal surveys
Feb. 19, 2021 , 3:00 PM
Biologists wanting to identify the resident creatures of a location, be it nearby woods or a distant mountainside, could soon have new assistants to help them vacuum up a surrounding’s DNA: dung beetles. The guts of these unfussy eaters contain species-identifying mammalian DNA, a study has found, and could provide an easy, low-tech way to catalog regional biodiversity.
A new study reveals differences in the genomic history of tiger subspecies, pointing to the importance of understanding evolutionary history for future conservation
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Despite being one of the world s most charismatic species, tigers face uncertain futures primarily due to habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict and poaching. As global tiger populations decline, so does their genetic diversity. But until now it s been unclear how the animals dwindling numbers are affecting them at the genetic level.
To find out, researchers at Stanford University, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, India, and various zoological parks and NGOs sequenced 65 genomes from four of the surviving tiger subspecies. Their findings confirmed that strong genetic differences exist between different tiger subspecies but showed, surprisingly, that these differences emerged relatively recently, as Earth underwent a major climatic shift and our own species grew increasingly dominant.
Indian Tigers have highest genetic variation, but some are inbred | India News indiatimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiatimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.