DNA de fezes ajuda cientistas a proteger o raro potoroo-de-gilbert

20 de maio de 2026

Reportado por IA

Pesquisadores australianos estão usando técnicas de DNA ambiental em amostras de fezes para identificar habitats adequados para o potoroo-de-gilbert, espécie criticamente ameaçada de extinção. O trabalho visa estabelecer novas populações do marsupial, que conta com menos de 150 indivíduos na natureza. A abordagem pode melhorar os esforços de translocação após contratempos anteriores, incluindo um grande incêndio florestal.

Cientistas da Edith Cowan University e do Departamento de Biodiversidade, Conservação e Atrações analisaram amostras de fezes do potoroo-de-gilbert e de espécies relacionadas. Eles aplicaram a técnica de metabarcoding de eDNA para determinar os fungos que os animais consomem. Esse método não invasivo revelou sobreposições alimentares com quokkas, quendas e ratos-do-mato, ajudando a identificar áreas com recursos alimentares adequados para futuros locais de realocação.

Artigos relacionados

Two marsupials thought extinct for 6000 years found alive

Scientists have confirmed the survival of two marsupial species long believed extinct, thanks to assistance from Indigenous communities in Indonesia. The ring-tailed glider and pygmy long-fingered possum were discovered in Papua's Vogelkop peninsula. Their habitats, however, face serious threats from logging.

Scientists analyze Darwin's 200-year-old specimen jars without opening them

05 de março de 2026 Reportado por IA

Researchers have developed a laser technique to examine the contents of Charles Darwin's original specimens from the Galápagos Islands without disturbing the nearly 200-year-old jars. The method, known as Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy, reveals the chemical makeup of preservation fluids inside sealed containers. This breakthrough aids museums in preserving delicate collections worldwide.

Apicultura

DNA analysis uncovers honey origins and fraud

Saúde

Social bonds shape gut bacteria in Seychelles warbler birds

Ciência

Scientists uncover million-year-old fossils in New Zealand cave

Brazil fossil reanalysis challenges early animal origins

Scientists have determined that structures once seen as traces of tiny animals in 540-million-year-old Brazilian rocks are actually fossilized communities of bacteria and algae. The reexamination uses advanced imaging to reveal preserved cells and organic material.

DNA study supports human arrival in Australia 60,000 years ago

09 de abril de 2026 Reportado por IA

Scientists have found genetic evidence that modern humans reached New Guinea and Australia around 60,000 years ago, backing the long chronology over more recent estimates. The international team, led by researchers at the University of Huddersfield and the University of Southampton, analyzed nearly 2,500 mitochondrial DNA genomes from Aboriginal Australians, New Guineans, and Southeast Asian populations. Their work suggests early migrants used at least two routes through Southeast Asia.

Meio Ambiente