How we can detect pretty much anything - Hélène Morlon and Anna Papadopoulou
325,118 Views
1,776 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
Scientists have been staking out a forest in Montana for an animal that’s notoriously tricky to find. Camera traps haven’t offered definitive evidence, and experts can’t identify its tracks with certainty. But within the past decades, researchers have developed methods that can detect even the most elusive species. So how does it work? Hélène Morlon & Anna Papadopoulou dig into DNA metabarcoding.
Researchers in the USA have used eDNA from snow tracks to detect the Canada lynx in the Montana forest. Their collaborators from Spain are also trying to monitor the endangered Iberian lynx in the Iberian Peninsula, where the climate is Mediterranean. What environmental samples could they collect to have a chance of verifying the presence of the Iberian lynx in their forests?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Hélène Morlon, Anna Papadopoulou
- Director Blok Magnaye, Creasenso
- Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Storyboard Artist Blok Magnaye
- Animator Blok Magnaye
- Composer Cem Misirlioglu, Alex Chumak
- Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
- Music Alex Chumak
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Cella Wright
- Production Coordinator Abdallah Ewis
- Script Editor Alex Gendler
- Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam
- Special Thanks Isaac Overcast , Emmanouil Meramveliotakis , Loudmila Jelinscaia Lagou, The iBioGen Project (Horizon 2020 - GA 810729)
