Animal deaths on the road are never pleasant, but we can use this inevitability to gather scientific knowledge without capturing or imprisoning them. It is a highly ethical approach, and can be used as an alternative to invasive sampling methods.
Millions of animals are hit by vehicles every year and die as a result. These accidents even led some species to the extinction.
Although being run over is never pleasant, the deaths of these animals can be an opportunity to carry out scientific research in a more efficient way. more ethical.
According to the authors of a paper published last week in Biology Lettersbeing run over can be a “valuable source of animals for study that does not require and may even replace the use of live wildlife“, stated a study published in the magazine .
Researchers have identified approximately 117 different uses for animals run over in various scientific projects.
“We found examples of successful use of roadkill to map species distribution, monitor diseases and environmental pollution, study diets, track invasive speciessupply museum collections and even discover species previously unknown to science”, said Christa Beckmann, researcher at RMIT University and lead author of the study, in a statement published on .
One of the most common uses of roadkill is to identify and determine species populations in an area. Many species are “difficult to spot”, explains Beckmann to the magazine. “We don’t just come across them as we walk.”
“Therefore, finding dead animals on the road can actually be a way easier to quantify the presence of these animals in their habitat”, notes the researcher.
According to the Australian agency, several species of lizards and rodents were “Discovered for the first time after being run overand deer carcasses have been used as bait to attract eagles within the scope of investigations”.
In another, slightly sinister case, a paleontologist photographed animal remains as they were repeatedly run over to teach students the process of fossilization.
A great advantage of using roadkill for research is that “is highly ethical, and can be used as an alternative to invasive sampling methods”, say the study authors
“If we want to collect a genetic sample, we don’t need to capture live animals or handle them; both situations can cause stress,” says Beckmann. “We can just drive along the road and use samples from roadkill.”
