When gathering DNA from zoos, researchers detected nearby native species like the European hedgehog Oksana Schmidt/Getty Images
Vacuuming DNA out of the air can reveal which animals are present in an area, two teams have independently shown. The approach could make it much easier to monitor wildlife in terrestrial environments around the world, and even help study airflow.
“This could have a profound impact on a lot of different fields,” says at York University in Toronto.
Looking at which aquatic animals are present by searching for so-called environmental DNA, or eDNA, in water has already had a…
