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Mizzou scientists will use "hair snares" to collect
samples from Missouri black bears that they will use to
estimate the number of bears and their migration patterns
through DNA analysis. Photo courtesy of PD
Photo.org
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Researchers
Study
Missouri Black Bears
By Katherine Kostiuk
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia
are studying the status of black bears in Missouri. Black bears
were abundant in the state during the 18th and 19th centuries,
but have been considered almost extinct in Missouri since the
late 19th century. The results of the MU study will be used by
the Missouri Department of Conservation to help manage Missouri's
black bear population.
The researchers — Kaitlyn Faries, a
senior majoring in biology and chemistry, and Lori Eggert, assistant
professor, Biological
Sciences — will use a non-invasive sampling technique
called “hair snares,” barbed wires that remove a few
of the bears' hairs without harming the bears themselves. After
collecting hair samples this summer, they will extract DNA from
the hair follicles and use that DNA to estimate the number of
bears, the gender ratio of male to female bears, where the bears
are migrating from and if they are reproducing.
“This study is a good example of the use of cutting-edge molecular biology in the management of Missouri's wildlife,” Eggert said. “We're pleased to work with the Missouri Department of Conservation to generate the data needed to better understand and effectively manage the black bear population.”
Dave Hamilton, a resource scientist at the Missouri Department of Conservation, said he believes there are approximately 300 black bears in Missouri but only a few females. This study will give the Missouri Department of Conservation a better understanding of the population.
“This study is important to us because we need to have a better idea about the nature of the bear population in Missouri,” Hamilton said. “We get lots of questions from citizens and media this time of year because bears are active and get into trouble, and we try to reassure the public that we are prepared to handle nuisance bears and protect their property. This pilot study should help us ask better research questions down the road. We don't know if we have a self-sustaining population in Missouri or if we simply have a lot of dispersing males coming from Arkansas. We need to investigate the genetic interchange between the two populations to understand where we are in the growth state of the population.”
The study is expected to continue for two to three years.
“I am really excited to be working on this project because it will be a fantastic learning experience for me. MU really encourages undergraduate participation in research, and I have been fortunate to receive support from the College of Arts and Science, as well as the Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program to conduct this research,” Faries said.
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Last Update:
November 15, 2007
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