Keeping track of the world ’s most northwards bear coinage is no easy feat especially when most traditionalpolar bearmonitoring is done using aircraft that bank on sea ice to be capable to land . With decline ocean ice stage in area of polar bear universe due to theclimate crisis , scientist have found a new method acting to be able-bodied to extract DNA from these coke giants , and it all lead off with a step .
Taking DNA from polar bear is vital to be able to determine all sorts of machine characteristic like sexuality and recognition of individuals . common methods of DNA extraction involve using biopsy darts delivered via helicopter . However , these methods are harder to use with declining ice layer . Instead , scientists are turning to environmental DNA ( eastward - DNA ) which is base in the skin cells left behind in the polar bear footprint and racecourse across the snow .
Mitochondrial DNA can tell researcher whether pivotal bear deoxyribonucleic acid is present in a sample distribution pull together from the blow and then , if notice to be present , atomic deoxyribonucleic acid can disclose entropy about the polar bear such as the individual and their sex activity .
Collecting samples from wild polar bear pawprints and testing them in the lab.Image Credit: Von Duyke et al., Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2023 (CC BY 4.0).
Snow was taken from 13 opposite bear trails on the sea chicken feed in the North Slope Borough of Alaska . Six of the 13 trails sample showed genotypes for five dissimilar male bears and one female . The authors believe this to be the first time e - DNA from paw prints has been used in this way .
This new method can aid overwhelm some challenge associated with traditional methods , such as not being capable to use wireless collars on cubs and grownup males because of physiologic barrier . While the squad acknowledge that the sketch had a relatively little sampling size , they suggest that it could be particularly useful as a low - cost alternative to eggbeater monitoring .
This iconic Arctic marauder is listed as threaten under the US Endangered Species Act . The squad trust that this method of population monitoring could be used as a future tense , non - invasive elbow room of keeping track of these animals . Further , it could be used to help endemic communities in the Arctic who are affected by polar bear direction conclusion .
The theme is published inFrontiers in Conservation Science .
