Leeches, known for their blood-sucking behavior, can help scientists track endangered wildlife by analyzing the DNA of animals they’ve fed on. This “invertebrate-derived DNA” (iDNA) can reveal information about rare and hard-to-find species.
Related Posts
Are dogs left- or right-handed? What the science says
Understanding paw preference. Shutterstock/In Green Deborah Wells, Queen’s University Belfast The vast majority of people use one hand…
Ancient pathogens released from melting ice could wreak havoc on the world, new analysis reveals
Shutterstock Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Flinders University and Giovanni Strona, University of Helsinki Science fiction is rife with…
Bad break-up in warm waters: why marine sponges suffer with rising temperatures
Coral Brunner, Shutterstock Emmanuelle Botté, UNSW Sydney; Heidi M. Luter, Australian Institute of Marine Science, and James Bell,…
Neanderthals died out 40,000 years ago, but there has never been more of their DNA on Earth
Artist: Tom Björklund / Moesgård Museum, Author provided Peter C. Kjærgaard, University of Copenhagen; Mark Maslin, UCL, and…