title: DNA barcoding as a tool for species identification in three forensic wildlife cases in South Africa.
abstract: Poaching of wildlife animals for subsistence and commercial purposes has lead to population declines in Africa. In forensic cases, a need exists to identify the species of origin of carcasses, meat or blood. In the study presented here, the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to determine the species of unknown samples in three suspect South African forensic wildlife cases. In two cases the unknown samples were identified as originating from domestic cattle (Bos taurus) and in the third case the sample was identified as common reedbuck (Redunca arundinum). This is the first report of the COI sequence of common reedbuck. The study highlights the need for accurate wildlife reference material from each country in order to convict wildlife cases.
authors.affiliation: National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. desire@nzg.ac.za
authors.forename: Desire L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Antoinette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotze
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012418:Ruminants / Q000235:genetics*; D013019:South Africa; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV