May 2025

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of giving a talk as part of the Animal aDNA Research Community's TikTalk Seminar Series—an inspiring space led by a community of researchers working with ancient and historical DNA. It was a fantastic opportunity to share my research on conservation genomics and the use of museum specimens to study biodiversity through time.

The organizers recently published a blog post summarizing my presentation and highlighting some key themes from our discussion. I’m honored to be featured and grateful for the thoughtful engagement from this vibrant research network.

In my talk, I presented results on the biogeography and species boundaries of dwarf galagos. I analyzed genetic and morphological data from over a hundred historical specimens, including some collected during the American Museum Congo Expedition (1909–1915), led by Herbert Lang and James Paul Chapin. Although the expedition notes offered only brief mentions of these elusive, minuscule primates, the specimens they collected were vital to my work, as sampling in the deep forests of the Congo Basin remains extremely challenging today.

Combined with material from five other museum collections, I generated new genomic data and uncovered cryptic diversity in Western dwarf galagos—revealing distinct genetic lineages that challenge current species boundaries. This work exemplifies how century-old museum collections, like those assembled by Lang and Chapin, can provide crucial insights into modern questions of biodiversity and species delimitation.

You can read more about my work and the broader applications of historical DNA in evolutionary and conservation research in the blog post below:
👉 https://www.animal-adna.org/blog/2025/05/19/Interview-February-Speakers2/

I will post the link to their YouTube channel once they upload the recorded talk, so stay tuned!

May 2025

I'm thrilled to share a project that has been a year in the making and is very close to my heart. Together with a fantastic team, we’ve developed a set of open-access teaching resources on how museum collections and genomic tools (a.k.a. conservation museomics) can be applied to biodiversity conservation.

Our work is now published in Lessons in Conservation, and it's designed to inspire and empower students, educators, and researchers interested in ancient DNA, genomics, and conservation biology.

🔬 Why museum specimens?

Museum collections hold irreplaceable genetic data, including from endangered or extinct species. These materials offer a powerful window into the past and a practical toolkit for solving today's conservation challenges.

📚 The series includes:

1. A foundational synthesis introducing the concepts and methods needed to integrate historical and modern DNA into conservation projects.

2. A hands-on exercise using a real-world museomics study on the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) to spark student-led analysis and discussion.

3. A guided activity to help students frame their own research questions, blending genetics, conservation goals, and museum-based sampling.

We designed these materials with undergraduate or graduate-level students in conservation, evolutionary biology, or molecular ecology in mind. They can be an excellent launchpad for instructors looking to integrate ancient DNA and museum science into the classroom. I hope these materials help inspire the next generation of conservation geneticists and museum-based researchers :)

Check them out, use them, share them, and let me know what you think!

1. Penna, A., Clark, L. T., Salis, A. T., Macey, S. K., Blair, M. E. (2025). Applications of museum collections and genomics to biodiversity conservation. Lessons in Conservation, 14(1): 107–147. https://doi.org/10.5531/cbc.linc.14.1.7 

2. Clark, L. T., Salis, A. T., Penna, A., Wallace, M., Krupa, L. S., Blair, M. E. (2025). The application of conservation museomics approaches to the protection of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Lessons in Conservation, 14(1): 148–159. https://doi.org/10.5531/cbc.linc.14.1.8 

3. Penna, A., Wallace, M., Clark, L. T., Krupa, L. S., Macey, S. K., Pozzi, L., Blair, M. E. (2025). Designing a conservation genomics project incorporating DNA from museum specimens. Lessons in Conservation, 14(1): 160–176. https://doi.org/10.5531/cbc.linc.14.1.9
   
   You can find the full issue here: https://www.amnh.org/research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/resources-and-publications/lessons-in-conservation/volume-14