Abstract
Wildlife forensic science may not have attained the profile of human identification,
yet the scale of criminal activity related to wildlife is extensive by any measure.
Service delivery in the arena of wildlife forensic science is often ad hoc, unco-ordinated and unregulated, yet many of those currently dedicated to wildlife
conservation and the protection of endangered species are striving to ensure that
the highest standards are met. The genetic markers and software used to evaluate data
in wildlife forensic science are more varied than those in human forensic identification
and are rarely standardised between species. The time and resources required to characterise
and validate each genetic maker is considerable and in some cases prohibitive. Further,
issues are regularly encountered in the construction of allelic databases and allelic
ladders; essential in human identification studies, but also applicable to wildlife
criminal investigations. Accreditation and certification are essential in human identification
and are currently being strived for in the forensic wildlife community. Examples are
provided as to how best practice can be demonstrated in all areas of wildlife crime
analysis and ensure that this field of forensic science gains and maintains the respect
it deserves. This review is aimed at those conducting human identification to illustrate
how research concepts in wildlife forensic science can be used in the criminal justice
system, as well as describing the real importance of this type of forensic analysis.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 02, 2014
Accepted:
December 18,
2013
Received in revised form:
December 13,
2013
Received:
June 28,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
