Researchers use cutting-edge technology to save elusive species: 'This work demonstrates the success'
In Australia, researchers are working with an Indigenous group to save a large native lizard from extinction.
As Phys.org reported, Dr. David Thuo of the Australian National Wildlife Collection is working with Aṉangu Rangers and the Central Land Council's Tjakuṟa Rangers to learn about the Tjakuṟa species. Also known as the great desert skink, the Tjakuṟa is a culturally significant lizard vulnerable to extinction.
The groups work together to locate the lizards' burrows and identify potential predator threats. Traditional Aṉangu knowledge guides this identification work. The researchers then collect soil, air, and scat samples to assess the eDNA in the lizards' diet and estimate the population.
Cutting-edge technology makes this work possible by comparing modern specimens with historical DNA from the 1960s. A recently deceased Tjakuṟa provides essential genetic data with which to compare a museum collection and observe how populations have evolved over time and responded to changes in the lizards' environment.
According to Phys.org, "This work demonstrates the success of eDNA techniques for studying culturally important species without disturbing them."
The researchers also sequenced the Tjakuṟa's first complete mitochondrial genome, a vital genetic study resource.
Yet, this breakthrough is even more significant because research complements local Indigenous efforts to care for the land. The Tjakuṟa is part of a traditional creation story that connects native people to the land where they live.
Rather than science and cultural traditions competing against each other, they work in tandem to create lasting impacts for the Tjakuṟa and other Australian species.
Elsewhere around the world, organizations and Indigenous communities are also collaborating to improve people's lives and the planet.
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For example, Brazil's agricultural research agency and Indigenous leaders have worked together to plant a million trees annually to promote reforestation and fight planet-warming air pollution.
An inspiring example occurred when the Nature Conservancy, InterTribal Buffalo Council, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and the World Wildlife Fund collaborated to restore buffalo habitats on tribal lands.
Meanwhile, Native Renewables, led by women, has worked with Indigenous people to increase access to affordable, off-grid solar power and promote energy independence.
Thuo commented on the multifaceted impact of the Tjakuṟa study: "The data can guide where and when to carry out Indigenous fire management, inform future translocations of Tjakuṟa to increase genetic diversity and resilience to environmental changes, and support monitoring of other Tjakuṟa populations across the desert."
Thuo's non-invasive strategy of studying the species ensures that it doesn't disrupt its behavior and aligns with Indigenous values.
He has confirmed the Tjakuṟa's diet and eating patterns based on the eDNA soil and scat extractions. Long-term species monitoring is necessary to help it thrive in its native habitat and keep traditional stories alive in the local community.
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