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Individualization of tiger by using microsatellites
Yan Chun Xu1, Bo Li, Wan Shui Li
1State Forestry Administration Detecting Center of Wild Fauna and Flora, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26, Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, PR China. xu_daniel@yahoo.com
Forensic Science International
|June 7, 2005
Summary
Forensic scientists can now reliably individualize tigers using seven microsatellite DNA loci from domestic cats. This method accurately identified a single tiger in a bone smuggling case, aiding wildlife crime investigations.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Genetics
- Wildlife Forensics
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Accurate tiger (Panthera tigris) individualization is crucial for prosecuting poaching and smuggling cases.
- Traditional morphological methods are often insufficient for distinguishing individual tigers from their parts.
- Microsatellite DNA markers offer a reliable solution for animal individualization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of seven domestic cat (Felis catus) microsatellite loci for tiger individualization.
- To establish the discriminatory power of a combined seven-locus microsatellite panel for tigers.
- To apply this genetic tool to a real-world tiger bone smuggling case.
Main Methods:
- Selected seven polymorphic microsatellite loci (F41, F42, F146, Fca304, Fca391, Fca441, Fca453) from domestic cats.
- Genotyped a reference population of 37 unrelated tigers to determine allele and genotype frequencies.
- Calculated cumulative discrimination power and match probability for the seven-locus combination.
- Applied the established panel to analyze samples from a tiger bone smuggling incident.
Main Results:
- All seven selected microsatellite loci were polymorphic and easily amplified in tigers.
- The combined seven loci achieved a high cumulative discrimination power of 0.99999789.
- Match probabilities per locus ranged from 7.34 x 10(-9) to 2.77 x 10(-5), indicating strong individualization capacity.
- Analysis of smuggling case samples confirmed they originated from a single tiger (P(M) = 5.63 x 10(-7)).
Conclusions:
- The combination of seven domestic cat microsatellite loci provides robust power for tiger individualization.
- This genetic method is a valuable tool for forensic applications in combating tiger poaching and smuggling.
- The study successfully validated the utility of this panel in a practical wildlife crime investigation.