<figure class="fr-image-container fr-full"><img srcset="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/22423/wildebeest-s.webp 480w, https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/22423/wildebeest-m.webp 660w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 480px, 660px" src="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/22423/wildebeest-s.jpg" title="wildebeest.jpg" loading="lazy" data-id="22423"><figcaption class="fr-figcaption"><p class="fr-caption"></p></figcaption></figure><p> Sequencing the DNA in a scoop of dirt can tell scientists what creatures are living nearby, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21917035" title="">a new study using soil from safari parks shows</a></p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><p>, and the amount of DNA present can even tell how many individuals of each species there are, which could allow field biologists to get preliminary surveys of species. But though the team managed to identify nearly all the species they had expected in the parks, from wildebeest to elephants, they are still addressing how to take samples that accurately represent the area's biodiversity---one would have to avoid elephant latrines or wildebeest sleeping areas, for instance---and there is the additional problem that rare or small creatures, like insects, might easily be missed. That said, it's still an unusual and interesting way to take a look at an area's inhabitants without actually tracking them down. Read more at <a href="https://sciam.cn/article.cfm?id=dna-in-dirt-offer-ecological-clues-species-diversity" title=""><em>Scientific American</em></a></p><p>. </p><div data-embedid="9d18565e-af4d-4ddd-bfc5-2dbf51c5675e" id="insticator-embed-temp"></div><p><em>Image courtesy of </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/malczyk/5639149630/sizes/z/in/photostream/" title="">malcyzk / flickr</a></p>

Discover how sequencing DNA in soil reveals local wildlife populations in safari parks, providing ecological insights for biologists.

Environment

DNA in the Dirt Reveals the Number and Species of Animals in the Area

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News

Veronique Greenwood

Science

Sequencing the DNA in a scoop of dirt can tell scientists what creatures are living nearby, a new study using soil from safari parks shows , and the amount of DNA present can even tell how many individuals of each species there are, which could allow field biologists to get preliminary surveys of species. But though the team managed to identify nearly all the species they had expected in the parks, from wildebeest to elephants, they are still addressing how to take samples that accurately represent the area's biodiversity---one would have to avoid elephant latrines or wildebeest sleeping areas, for instance---and there is the additional problem that rare or small creatures, like insects, might easily be missed. That said, it's still an unusual and interesting way to take a look at an area's inhabitants without actually tracking them down. Read more at Scientific American . Image courtesy of malcyzk / flickr

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