14 DAY TRIAL // French specialists working closely with environmental group the World Wildlife Fund claim to have successfully recovered polar bear DNA from a track left in the snow by one such animal.
Besides, they say that this polar bear genetic material was accompanied by seal and seagull DNA, thus confirming observations that the animal that left the footprint had eaten lunch not too long before the print was collected.
As explained by conservationists working with the World Wildlife Fund and by the French scientists behind this research project, this investigation marks the first time polar bear DNA has ever been isolated from a track in the snow.
“The results are really exciting. This is the first time we have been able to extract DNA from a track left by a polar bear – we found not only the bear’s DNA, but also that of a seal and a seagull,” said specialist Eva Bellemain.
Furthermore, “We know from observations by the WWF team that the bear in question had just killed a seal, and that seagull had been seen at the kill site too, so this one footprint tells the whole story.”
Folks with the World Wildlife Fund expect that the technology used to recover polar bear DNA from this footprint can help promote conservation efforts in the Arctic by making it possible for wildlife researchers to gain a better understanding of local biodiversity.
As explained by Arnaud Lyet, a member of the organization, “This method would be an invaluable tool for conservation biology. Using footprint DNA, we could dramatically cut the investment required, so monitoring populations could be done more easily.”
In order for footprint DNA to help protect biodiversity in the Arctic, scientists must first figure out a way to use it to collect detailed information concerning the life and overall health condition of the animal that left it behind.