Fingermarks in wildlife forensics: A review.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Wildlife Forensics
• Criminology

Background:

• Wildlife crime, including poaching and trafficking, has severe ecological and societal consequences.
• Current forensic efforts against wildlife crime primarily rely on DNA-based techniques.
• Fingermark analysis, a cost-effective and field-deployable forensic method, remains underexplored in wildlife forensics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on fingermark examination techniques applied to wildlife-related samples.
• To assess the potential of fingermark analysis as a tool to combat wildlife crime.
• To identify limitations in current research and suggest future directions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies examining fingermark analysis on various wildlife materials (e.g., pangolin scales, ivory, bone, feathers, skins).
• Analysis of the applicability and limitations of commonly used fingermark detection techniques on these substrates.
• Evaluation of experimental designs and environmental validation in existing studies.

Main Results:

• Preliminary research indicates that standard fingermark analysis techniques can be applied to diverse wildlife-based items.
• Studies demonstrate the potential for identifying perpetrators through fingermarks on trafficked wildlife goods.
• Existing research often suffers from small sample sizes and lack of validation under realistic field conditions.

Conclusions:

• Fingermark analysis shows promise as a valuable, complementary technique in wildlife forensics.
• Further research with larger sample sizes and rigorous validation under relevant environmental conditions is crucial.
• Optimizing fingermark analysis techniques for specific field environments will enhance legal investigations and aid in reducing wildlife poaching.