Jaguars in Brazil act just like house cats in new trail camera footage – and scientists are using that to their advantage

Jaguars in Brazil act just like house cats in new trail camera footage – and scientists are using that to their advantage

Jaguars in Brazil act just like house cats in new trail camera footage – and scientists are using that to their advantage There’s a lot to learn from a single hair.  For decades, scientists have used animal hair samples to aid animal research — and in turn, boost conservation efforts for some of the planet's most vulnerable species.  By analyzing and comparing the DNA in hair samples, scientists can assess the diversity, size, density, and even health of a given population. But collecting hair from a 200-pound jaguar is easier said than done.  That’s the challenge that Brazilian researchers at IMPACTO Institute, the Institute for Mitigation of Environmental Problems with Traditional Communities and Jaguars, took on in a recent study.  “Mammalian hair is a source of biological information and can be used in genetic, toxicological, hormonal, and ecological studies,” noted lead author Larissa Pereira Rodrigues and her peers in the paper, which was published in the scientific journal “Anima…