“Cycas micronesica is one of the most ecologically important plants on Guam and nearby islands, and it is now rapidly disappearing,” says Angélica Cibrián-Jaramillo, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History and at The New York Botanical Garden. “But with new genomic tools we developed microsatellite markers to quickly assess individual plants. This technique is ideal for species that need quick answers for conservation reasons.” Microsatellite markers are short genetic sequences typically used to determine how individuals are related to each other (kinship) and other population studies.
Read the full story on ancient plant and species recovery here.
