Innovative DNA Analysis Offers Hope for World's Rarest Marsupial
Photo: Joe Mathis / Unsplash
Australian researchers are using advanced DNA techniques to study Gilbert's potoroos, one of the world's most critically endangered marsupials with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild. By examining DNA traces in the animals' droppings, scientists have identified crucial information about the fungi these marsupials depend on, paving the way for conservationists to establish safer habitats and backup populations that could protect the species from extinction.
Australian researchers are using advanced DNA techniques to study Gilbert’s potoroos, one of the world’s most critically endangered marsupials with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild. By examining DNA traces in the animals’ droppings, scientists have identified crucial information about the fungi these marsupials depend on, paving the way for conservationists to establish safer habitats and backup populations that could protect the species from extinction.