While spider webs are unlikely to trap an elephant, their ability to trap minuscule fragments of DNA could change how scientists learn about wildlife, according to new research.
The Curtin University study on environmental DNA (eDNA) analysed 49 spider webs from the Perth Hills region and Perth Zoo, and identified the genetic signatures of 93 different animals.
Among them were birds, native mammals, meerkats, and at the zoo — elephants.
Lead author PhD candidate Joshua Newton said studying eDNA was a non-intrusive way of understanding the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
"Spider webs are not just beautiful, they could be our secret weapon to better understanding nature," he said.
"Our study shows that these webs can help us keep tabs on different animals without disturbing them.
"These webs, often overlooked in biodiversity studies, proved to be reservoirs of genetic information."
Mr Newton said webs could trap all sorts of DNA, including skin cells, hair, and bodily fluids.
"With only trace amounts of DNA needed to identify animals, this cheap and non-invasive method could be a game-changer in how we explore and protect our terrestrial biodiversity," he said.
The research was conducted out of Curtin University's School of Molecular and Life Sciences, and was funded by Mineral Resources Limited.
Professor Morten Allentoft, who supervised the paper, said using spider webs as DNA "traps" opened up research possibilities in challenging and inhospitable environments.
"Scientists typically rely on direct observations to study animals, but this research widens the scope of eDNA-based biodiversity monitoring," he said.
"Our results even identified invasive species, such as red foxes, house mice and black rats."
Professor Allentoft said the research was initially targeted at detecting airborne DNA left behind by local wildlife.
"Our initial results from Perth's Hills were promising, with a bunch of local wildlife detection," he said.
"The true potential of this method unfolded when we repeated the spider web sampling in Perth Zoo and suddenly got giraffe and rhinoceros DNA in the webs."
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