Use of DNA from bite marks to determine species and individual animals that attack humans (original) (raw)
Related papers
2014
Abstract: Genetic methods based on sampling of feces and hairs to study brown bears have become the method of choice for many wildlife researchers and managers. Feces and hairs are the most common sample material for DNA identification of individual bears. While the collection of feces and hairs in the field is carried out in an opportunistic manner, hair-trapping can be applied systematically at specific locations. We have here tested a novel systematic method based on hair sampling on power poles. The method relies on the specific behavior of bears to mark, scratch, bite and scrub on power poles, and by this also leave some hairs behind. During late summer and autumn we have investigated 215 power poles in the Pasvik Valley and sampled 181 hair samples in 2013 and 57 in 2014. A total of 17.3% of the samples collected in 2013 and 12.3% in 2014 were positive on brown bear DNA. Our success rates are comparable to other studies, however, DNA quality/content in the hair samples was gen...
Genetic methods based on sampling of feces and hairs to study brown bears have become the method of choice for many wildlife researchers and managers. Feces and hairs are the most common sample material for DNA identification of individual bears. While the collection of feces and hairs in the field is carried out in an opportunistic manner, hair-trapping can be applied systematically at specific locations. We have here tested a novel systematic method based on hair sampling on power poles. The method relies on the specific behavior of bears to mark, scratch, bite and scrub on power poles, and by this also leave some hairs behind. During late summer and autumn we have investigated 215 power poles in the Pasvik Valley and sampled 181 hair samples in 2013 and 57 in 2014. A total of 17.3% of the samples collected in 2013 and 12.3% in 2014 were positive on brown bear DNA. Our success rates are comparable to other studies, however, DNA quality/content in the hair samples was generally low...
Wildlife Research, 2019
Context Researchers and managers often use DNA analysis and remote photography to identify cryptic animals and estimate abundance. Remote video cameras are used less often but offer an increased ability to distinguish similar-looking individuals as well as to observe behavioural patterns that cannot be adequately captured with still photography. However, the use of this approach in species with minimally distinguishing marks has not been tested. Aims To determine the utility and accuracy of distinguishing characteristics of American black bears, Ursus americanus, observed on remote video for identifying individuals in an open population. Methods We compared individuals identified on video with individuals and their sex identified by DNA analysis of hairs collected from hair traps visited by the bears. Key results We found that remote video could be used to determine the number of male and female black bears sampled by the video cameras. Specifically, we matched 13 individual bear ge...
Using three case studies, we demonstrated the utility of techniques to analyze DNA from trace samples collected at sites of livestock predation and public safety incidents. Genetic analysis was used to determine species, individual identity, and relatedness between individuals. We documented the presence and individual identities of a mountain lion (Puma concolor) and a bobcat (Lynx rufus) from swab samples collected from bite wounds in domestic sheep that had been killed at the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center, Mendocino
2010
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) occur across British Columbia and in Alberta in mostly forested, mountainous, and boreal ecosystems. These dense forests make sighting bears from aircraft uncommon and aerial census impractical. Since 1995, we have used genetic sampling using DNA from bear hair collected with barbed wire hair traps to explore a suite of ecological questions of grizzly bears in western Canada. During 1995-2005, we conducted large-scale sampling (1,650 to 9,866 km 2 grids) in 26 areas (covering a combined 110,405 km 2 ), where genetic identification of 1,412 grizzly bears was recorded. Abundance estimation was the primary goal of most surveys. We also used DNA from bear hair to examine population trend, distribution, and presence in areas where grizzly bears were rare, as well as population fragmentation in a region with a high human population. Combining spatial variation in detecting bears with that of human, landscape, and ecological features has allowed us to quantify factors that influence grizzly bear distribution, population fragmentation, and competition with black bears (U. americanus), and to map variation in bear densities. We summarize these studies and discuss lessons learned that are relevant to improving sampling efficiency, study designs, and resulting inference.
The population size of Brown bear in Romania represents about 40 % of total number from Europe, except Russian territory, reaching to about 6000 individuals so being the biggest European population of this species, according to IUCN report "Brown Bear Conservation Action Plan for Europe" -1999. An approved limited harvesting quota for this species is needed in order to control the level of possible damages that can be caused. The hunting is allowed only for certain bears in conditions, places, and periods, and with the means established by the law. Hunting of brown bears is done only in the limit of the maximum number of individuals allowed by the law. Deduction of this maximum number of individuals for each administrator and game management unit is approved by ministerial order of the specific central public authority. Even so, it is estimated that the real number of brown bear individuals is lower than the proposed one. Annually, a bigger number of exemplars is declared in order to obtain an increased number of hunting permits that are illegally sold to foreign hunters. Up to date in our country, there is no program of brown bear identification and even the existing traceability methods can be easily defeated by poachers. In this study we propose a DNA molecular markers based system of fingerprinting that can lead to a data base construction. The DNA fingerprint is impossible to defeat and can be traced even in small remains of the body. Based on brown bear biological samples, by using the PCR technique and two types of molecular markers ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) and DAMD (Direct amplification of minisatellite DNA) a set of DNA fingerprints was established. Those fingerprints are accurate in distinguishing individuals and reproducible in time.
Experimental evaluation of genetic predator identification from saliva traces on wildlife kills
Journal of Mammalogy, 2015
Identification of predators from saliva traces on game species and/or livestock kills is gaining increasing importance in wildlife management, particularly in areas where direct wildlife-human conflicts regularly occur. When the noninvasive sampling of hairs and scats is difficult, as with rare and elusive predators, saliva samples constitute a potentially useful source of DNA. To test the feasibility of this approach in obtaining an accurate genotype of the predator, we applied an experimental approach. Captive wolves (Canis lupus) and lynxes (Lynx lynx) were allowed to feed on freshly killed roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) pieces for 1 min. After removal, pieces were sampled for saliva traces after 1, 24, and 48 h. Microsatellite analysis revealed that error rates and amplification failure increased sharply over time. While samples collected after 1 and 24 h yielded > 83% complete genotypes, values dropped to < 50% for samples collected after 48 h, of which 7% were incorrect even when consensus genotypes from 9 polymerase chain reactions were obtained. Our results stress the importance of rapid sampling after carcass detection, as well as implementing a multiple-tubes approach when using microsatellite markers for genetic predator identification based on saliva traces.