DNA studies of endangered sea turtles point to loss of genetic diversity caused by recent human exploitation, Australian scientists say.
Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide say their study demonstrates the significant consequences human over-exploitation can have on marine life.
The work used DNA samples from 334 turtles collected across 18 nesting sites along 1,800 miles of Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Between 1960 and 1990, more than 2 million olive ridley turtles –as many as 350,000 in 1968 alone — and their eggs were commercially harvested along the coast of Mexico, the researchers said.
Read the full, original story here: Human impact on sea turtles shows up in studies of genetic diversity
