Using morphometric and analytical techniques to characterize elephant ivory - PubMed (original) (raw)
Using morphometric and analytical techniques to characterize elephant ivory
Rina Rani Singh et al. Forensic Sci Int. 2006.
Abstract
There is a need to characterize Asian elephant ivory and compare with African ivory for controlling illegal trade and implementation of national and international laws. In this paper, we characterize ivory of Asian and African elephants using Schreger angle measurements, elemental analysis {X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS)} and isotopic analysis. We recorded Schreger angle characteristics of elephant ivory at three different zones in ivory samples of African (n=12) and Asian (n=28) elephants. The Schreger angle ranged from 32 degrees to 145 degrees and 30 degrees to 153 degrees in Asian and African ivory, respectively. Elemental analysis (for Asian and African ivory) by XRF, ICP-AES and ICP-MS provided preliminary data. We attempted to ascertain source of origin of Asian elephant ivory similarly as in African ivory based on isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and strontium. We determined isotopic ratios of carbon (n=31) and nitrogen (n=31) corresponding to diet and rainfall, respectively. Reference ivory samples from five areas within India were analyzed using collagen and powder sample and the latter was found more suitable for forensic analysis. During our preliminary analysis, the range of delta13C values (-13.6+/-0.15 per thousand and -25.6+/-0.15 per thousand) and delta15N values (10.2+/-0.15 per thousand and 3.5+/-0.15 per thousand) were noted.
Similar articles
- Combating the illegal trade in African elephant ivory with DNA forensics.
Wasser SK, Joseph Clark W, Drori O, Stephen Kisamo E, Mailand C, Mutayoba B, Stephens M. Wasser SK, et al. Conserv Biol. 2008 Aug;22(4):1065-71. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01012.x. Conserv Biol. 2008. PMID: 18786100 - The identification of elephant ivory evidences of illegal trade with mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and hypervariable D-loop region.
Lee EJ, Lee YH, Moon SH, Kim NY, Kim SH, Yang MS, Choi DH, Han MS. Lee EJ, et al. J Forensic Leg Med. 2013 Apr;20(3):174-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2012.06.014. Epub 2012 Jul 27. J Forensic Leg Med. 2013. PMID: 23472798 - Geographic variations in the composition of ivory of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana).
Raubenheimer EJ, Brown JM, Rama DB, Dreyer MJ, Smith PD, Dauth J. Raubenheimer EJ, et al. Arch Oral Biol. 1998 Aug;43(8):641-7. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9969(98)00051-x. Arch Oral Biol. 1998. PMID: 9758047 - Evaluation of methods for trace-element determination with emphasis on their usability in the clinical routine laboratory.
Bolann BJ, Rahil-Khazen R, Henriksen H, Isrenn R, Ulvik RJ. Bolann BJ, et al. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2007;67(4):353-66. doi: 10.1080/00365510601095281. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2007. PMID: 17558890 Review. - Ivory Harvesting Pressure on the Genome of the African Elephant: A Phenotypic Shift to Tusklessness.
Raubenheimer EJ, Miniggio HD. Raubenheimer EJ, et al. Head Neck Pathol. 2016 Sep;10(3):332-5. doi: 10.1007/s12105-016-0704-y. Epub 2016 Feb 26. Head Neck Pathol. 2016. PMID: 26920555 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
- Ivory identification by DNA profiling of cytochrome b gene.
Lee JC, Hsieh HM, Huang LH, Kuo YC, Wu JH, Chin SC, Lee AH, Linacre A, Tsai LC. Lee JC, et al. Int J Legal Med. 2009 Mar;123(2):117-21. doi: 10.1007/s00414-008-0264-0. Epub 2008 Jul 9. Int J Legal Med. 2009. PMID: 18612647 - Discrimination of highly degraded, aged Asian and African elephant ivory using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).
Suwanchatree N, Thanakiatkrai P, Linacre A, Kitpipit T. Suwanchatree N, et al. Int J Legal Med. 2021 Jan;135(1):107-115. doi: 10.1007/s00414-020-02414-w. Epub 2020 Sep 25. Int J Legal Med. 2021. PMID: 32975592 - Treatment and Outcomes of Tusk Fractures in Managed African Savanna and Asian Elephants (Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus) across Five Continents.
Rose JB, Leeds A, Yang LM, LeMont R, Fayette MA, Proudfoot JS, Bowman MR, Woody A, Oosterhuis J, Fagan DA. Rose JB, et al. Animals (Basel). 2022 Apr 27;12(9):1125. doi: 10.3390/ani12091125. Animals (Basel). 2022. PMID: 35565551 Free PMC article. - Distinguishing extant elephants ivory from mammoth ivory using a short sequence of cytochrome b gene.
Ngatia JN, Lan TM, Ma Y, Dinh TD, Wang Z, Dahmer TD, Chun Xu Y. Ngatia JN, et al. Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 11;9(1):18863. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-55094-x. Sci Rep. 2019. PMID: 31827140 Free PMC article. - Use of handheld X-ray fluorescence as a non-invasive method to distinguish between Asian and African elephant tusks.
Buddhachat K, Thitaram C, Brown JL, Klinhom S, Bansiddhi P, Penchart K, Ouitavon K, Sriaksorn K, Pa-in C, Kanchanasaka B, Somgird C, Nganvongpanit K. Buddhachat K, et al. Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 21;6:24845. doi: 10.1038/srep24845. Sci Rep. 2016. PMID: 27097717 Free PMC article.