スミソニアン国立動物園さんのインスタグラム写真 - (スミソニアン国立動物園Instagram)「#SIFocusOnTheFuture is a series that seeks to highlight the early career scientists who conduct research at the Zoo. Learn about our fellows through first-hand accounts and stories. Today's fellow is Molly Corder, with the Zoo's Center for Species Survival. "Endangered species are why I get out of bed in the morning. My research is focused on the black rhinoceros, a critically endangered species native to eastern and southern Africa. In the wild, black rhinos are heavily poached for their horns, which are made of keratin, just like our fingernails. Some people believe the horns have medicinal properties (they don’t) or see them as status symbols. While conservation work is being done to protect wild black rhino populations, my work is focused on management of the ex-situ population in the United States so that it can be more self-sustaining as a genetic resource against impending extinction threats. Our hope is those findings will eventually result in new diagnostic tools that could develop treatments for black rhinos in human care. Ultimately, we hope to foster a healthy and genetically viable backup population that, if needed, could one day be reintroduced into the wild. To do this, we have to increase the number of healthy black rhinos that can reproduce. Personally, my lifelong goal is to get black rhinos and other species to such sustainable levels that they are removed from the endangered species list." Read the rest of Molly's story using the link in our bio! 🦏 🔗 Image descriptions: 1. Photo of Molly Corder smiling, while seated in a lab. 2. Photo of a black rhino in a grassy plain. 3. Photo of Molly Corder smiling while using long metal tongs to lift an object out of liquid nitrogen.」10月29日 0時54分