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Do Your DNA Duty: Collect Wild Animal Poop and Dog Saliva for Science

You can help collect data for scientific studies by mailing researchers your dog's saliva, samples of the forest floor and even spiny anteater scat.

Credit: Fotyma/Shutterstock

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Genome sequencing technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace. In the decades since the Human Genome Project, scientists have developed the tools to rapidly analyze huge amounts of genetic material. You can now learn about your ancestry -- or even your pet's pedigree -- in just weeks thanks to mail-in services like 23andme.

And it's not just companies building up these large pools of genetic information, either. Many scientists are conducting large-scale studies that require abundant DNA samples. These researchers need your help building their datasets by collecting everything from your pet's saliva to spiny anteater poop.

(Credit: Gladskikh Tatiana/Shutterstock)

Gladskikh Tatiana/Shutterstock

Your pets may not have Ph.Ds., but they can still contribute to cutting edge research. The Darwin’s Ark project team needs pet survey information, DNA samples and, for a tick disease project, actual ticks you collect. Your data will benefit pets and their humans, too.

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