The use of eDNA in the reconstruction of present and past polar vertebrates’ populations

Abstract

The polar regions are home to a great biodiversity of vertebrates that are highly impacted by climate change. As extreme and pristine ecosystems, the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) presents itself as a noninvasive tool for the monitoring of polar vertebrates’ species, essential for their preservation. In this article, we review the currently published research on vertebrate eDNA in the Arctic, as well as compare it with a similar already-published article on Antarctica. Our results show how the Artic region is well represented with several studies focusing on vertebrates, being the second most researched group of organisms (19%), only behind plants, and with several studies related to the development of new approaches and methodologies for the use of eDNA from cold regions being published in the last years. In opposite, the Antarctic eDNA science on vertebrates is still poorly developed, with the vast majority of studies focusing on microbial life; therefore, the Antarctic region still remains with a great potential for the research development in vertebrates and the effects of the past and recent climate changes on their populations.