Rich Biodiversity in the Global South Lacks Proper Genomic Representation
Countries in the Global South, including those in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, are home to much richer biodiversity than nations in the Global North. However, this biodiversity is poorly represented in genomic databases that are critical for conservation efforts. A study recently published in Molecular Evolution reveals that species from the Northern Hemisphere, particularly North America and Europe, are disproportionately represented in these databases. In contrast, many species from tropical regions in the Global South remain underrepresented.
Researchers, led by Dr. Ethan Linck of Montana State University and Dr. Daniel Cadena from the University of Los Andes, analysed a genomic database covering 21,583 species of land mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Their analysis showed that 38 percent of Northern Hemisphere species had reference genomes compared to only 24 percent from the Southern Hemisphere. Despite having the highest biodiversity, areas in the tropics, especially in the Global South, face the largest gaps in genomic representation.
The Role of Genetic Data in Conservation
Genetic data plays a vital role in conservation decision-making. It helps identify whether animals in a particular area represent different species or populations within a single species, which is crucial for designing conservation strategies. However, the lack of genomic data from species in the Global South makes effective conservation more challenging.
Barriers for Researchers in the Global South
Researchers in the Global South face significant barriers in accessing technology and funding for genomic research. Dr. Cadena noted that many institutions lack the resources for whole genome sequencing and often depend on collaborations with the Global North. Dr. Linck pointed out that this creates an imbalance, making it harder for Southern researchers to contribute equally.
The Importance of Thoughtful Collaboration
To address this gap, Dr. Cadena stressed the importance of building long-term partnerships where local researchers are involved throughout the research process, ensuring greater representation and progress in biodiversity conservation.
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Two hikers accidentally discovered a treasure trove in Czech Republic . While taking a stroll in the forests surrounding Zvičina Hill in the Krkonoše Mountains near Poland’s border, they spotted an aluminium can and an iron box protruding slightly above the surface in a stone mound. The containers contained about 600 gold coins and a stunning assortment of gold artifacts. Discovery of this treasure worth more than $340,000 has drawn attention of researchers, arising questions about both the origin of the coins and how did they end up in such a remote location.
Tracing the origin of coins
According to the report by Vojtěch Brádle, a numismatist from the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, the majority of the coins were minted between 1808 and 1915. They originate from the Austria-Hungarian Empire, particularly under the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Some of the coins feature countermarks minted in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The 598 coins cover a broad historical period, containing currency from France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia too. The range of provenances makes it difficult to track how the coins got to where they were, or just why they were stashed away at all. “It is hard to say whether it was Czech, German, or Jewish gold,” said Petr Grulich, director of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, according to Dailymail.
Theories about the hiding place
There are several theories and speculation about how these coins and artifacts were hidden in such a remote location. One theory suggests that the items were concealed during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Following the Munich Agreement of 1938, large numbers of Jews and Czechs fled their homes in the annexed Sudetenland to escape persecution. Some historians believe that the treasure was buried during this time in an effort to protect it from the invading Nazi forces.
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On may 10th, a semitrailer delivered NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe or IMAP to the Astrotech space operations facility all the way from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The IMAP mission is a modern-day celestial cartographer that will map the solar system by studying the heliosphere, a giant bubble created by the Sun’s solar wind that surrounds our solar system and protects it from harmful interstellar radiation. Tentatively scheduled for launch no earlier than fall 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy, IMAP will be processed fuelled and encapsulated by the technicians in Astrotech facility.
About the mission
According to reported NASA’s blog, The IMAP mission will orbit the Sun at a location called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is about one million miles from Earth towards the Sun. From this location, IMAP can measure the local solar wind and scan the distant heliosphere without background from planets and their magnetic fields. The spacecraft will use 10 scientific instruments to study and map the heliosphere, a vast magnetic bubble surrounding the Sun protecting our solar system.
At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, IMAP went through thermal vacuum testing at the X-ray and Cryogenic facility that simulates harsh conditions and dramatic temperature changes to simulate the environment during launch, on the journey toward the Sun.
Mission Management
IMAP is the fifth mission in NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes program portfolio. It is lead by Princeton University professor David J. McComas with an international team of 25 partner institutions. The spacecraft was built and operated from The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
Information from this mission are expected to provide early warnings about space weather, which can affect human space explorers and technological systems like satellites and power grids that can affect life on Earth.
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