An international team of scientists reports assembling a barcoded genetic portrait of bird life in the United States and Canada - the prelude to a genetic portrait of all animal life on Earth. Based on DNA barcode identifiers, the scientists have discovered 15 new genetically distinct species, nearly indistinguishable to human eyes and ears and thus overlooked in centuries of bird studies. The barcoders also logged the DNA attributes of 87 bat species in the South American country of Guyana and reveal six new species, each characterized by its unique genetic make-up. Source: ENS.

From bush turkeys to Goeldi's marmosets, Amazonian biodiversity is famously rich — and as famously threatened by development. Now a faster, cheaper way of documenting the region's plants and animals is bringing conservationists and locals together to chart key areas for protection and sustainable use. More... Source: SciDev.net

Experts from 25 countries have backed a Peruvian proposal to create 'passports' for genetic resources, such as plants, animals and microorganisms, to help track their use outside the country of origin. More... Source: SciDev.net