Set of Genetic Studies Focuses on Conservation in Latin America

Set of Genetic Studies Focuses on Conservation in Latin America

Aug 05, 2015



Credit: Fabio Grison

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – A collection of papers appearing in the latest issue of the Journal of Heredity is illustrating ways in which genetic strategies can be applied to conserving and protecting wildlife in Latin American countries.

"Latin America has an unusual level of biodiversity, and is also undergoing unprecedented development, making the region of particular conservation concern," Kathryn Rodriguez-Clark, an editor who worked on the issue, said in a statement.

The 15 studies touched on everything from population studies of potentially threatened plant or animal species to the use of genetic barcodes for busting bird smugglers or curbing unwitting consumer consumption of unappetizing fish species.

As explained in an article introducing the work, the studies stemmed from a decade-long effort spurred on by the Conservation Genetics Network (ReGeneC) — an organization that hosts conservation genetics courses and workshops for South American students and investigators each year. The work was presented at a conservation genetics symposium in Venezuela in 2014.

More:
https://www.genomeweb.com/applied-markets/set-genetic-studies-focuses-conservation-latin-america