Molecular insight into a wildlife crime: The case of a peafowl slaughter

Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Sunil Kumar Verma, Lalji Singh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report a recent case in which a wildlife warden had suspected that some people had killed and cooked a peacock. Cooked meat, intestine of bird and the wooden block used for chopping were seized from the site of crime and forwarded to our laboratory for DNA testing. Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence analysis revealed that the cooked meat and remnants of the bird were of a chicken, but the DNA obtained from the wooden block was of an Indian Peafowl (Peacock) testifying that the wooden chopping block was used to chop the meat of an endangered bird, thus bringing to light a wildlife crime.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)214-217
Number of pages4
JournalForensic Science International
Volume154
Issue number2-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 25 2005
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cytochrome b
  • DNA-based analysis
  • Wildlife offence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine

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