Although many details in the Jurassic Park film series are fictional, the film’s main idea of “mosquitoes carrying dinosaur DNA” has become more realistic than expected.
Elchi.az reports that a new study from the University of Florida has revealed that mosquitoes can provide a complete picture of the ecological diversity in the areas where they feed.
Led by entomologist Lawrence Reeves, the team collected more than 50,000 mosquitoes from 21 different species over eight months in a 10,900-hectare protected area in Florida.
By examining blood samples taken from the bodies of several thousand female mosquitoes, researchers discovered that mosquito blood carries traces of all life in the region, from the smallest frogs to the largest cows.
Biological DNA sampling machines
Researchers were able to identify 86 different animal species from the DNA of the collected mosquitoes. This figure corresponds to approximately 80 percent of the vertebrate species in the region known to feed on mosquitoes. The list includes a very wide range of animals, from arboreal creatures to migratory birds, from native species to invasive or endangered animals.
Among large mammals, only the endangered Florida panther and some small, underground creatures such as moles were not found. Scientists called mosquitoes “biological DNA sampling machines” and stated that this method yields results as effective as traditional field studies.
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