Forensic Species Identification
Wildlife forensic investigators help solve crimes involving the killing and trafficking of protected species of wild animals. They use a variety of methods to determine the species from pieces or parts of an animal, or products made from an animal.
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Significance
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One of the most critical issues wildlife forensic scientists face is identifying the animal species from crime scene evidence---often no more than a few feathers, pieces of tusk, or even pulverized bone.
Morphology
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Animal species can sometimes be determined simply by examining the specimen itself. Experts can tell whether the hair from a shawl comes from an endangered Tibetan antelope, for example, by examining it under a microscope and comparing it to a reference sample.
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Chemical analysis
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Scientists can distinguish between different rhino species---all five are endangered---by doing a chemical analysis of the keratin in the horns. The analysis can reveal the dietary habits of the rhino, which vary from one species to another.
Bird identification
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The National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., has a Feather Atlas to help identify the species origin of bird feathers.
DNA analysis
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In 2002, scientists used DNA testing to prove that Alfred Kazback, the owner of a New York caviar company, was illegally selling the roe of American paddlefish, a protected species from the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers, as Russian caviar.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit rhinocerous,rhino,mammal,animal,horns,nature,san d image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
