title: DNA barcode based wildlife forensics for resolving the origin of claw samples using a novel primer cocktail.
abstract: Excessive wildlife hunting for commercial purposes can have negative impacts on biodiversity and may result in species extinction. To ensure compliance with legal statutes, forensic identification approaches relying on molecular markers may be used to identify the species of origin of animal material from hairs, claw, blood, bone, or meat. Using this approach, DNA sequences from the COI "barcoding" gene have been used to identify material from a number of domesticated animal species. However, many wild species of carnivores still present great challenges in generating COI barcodes using standard "universal" primer pairs. In the work presented here, the mitochondrial COI gene was successfully amplified using a novel primer cocktail, and the products were sequenced to determine the species of twenty one unknown samples of claw material collected as part of forensic wildlife case investigations. Sixteen of the unknown samples were recognized to have originated from either Panthera leo or P. pardus individuals. The remaining five samples could be identified only to the family level due to the absence of reference animal sequences. This is the first report on the use of COI sequences for the identification of P. pardus and P. leo from claw samples as part of forensic investigations in India. The study also highlights the need for adequate reference material to aid in the resolution of suspected cases of illegal wildlife harvesting.
authors.affiliation: a Paul Hebert Centre for DNA Barcoding and Biodiversity Studies, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University , Aurangabad , Maharashtra , India.
authors.forename: Gulab D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Khedkar
authors.affiliation: a Paul Hebert Centre for DNA Barcoding and Biodiversity Studies, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University , Aurangabad , Maharashtra , India.
authors.forename: Shil Bapurao
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Abhayankar
authors.affiliation: a Paul Hebert Centre for DNA Barcoding and Biodiversity Studies, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University , Aurangabad , Maharashtra , India.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nalage
authors.affiliation: b Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Live Stock Products, Panchsheel Bhavan , August Kranti Marg , New Delhi , India , and.
authors.forename: Shaikh Nadeem
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: c College of Dairy Technology, Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Sciences University , Nagpur , Maharashtra , India.
authors.forename: Chandraprakash D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Khedkar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000378:metabolism*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045989:Felidae / Q000235:genetics*; D044707:Forensic Sciences; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006239:Haplotypes; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: Claw; DNA barcoding; India; cytochrome oxidase I gene; forensics; panthera; primer cocktail