Review: Wildlife forensic genetics—Biological evidence, DNA markers, analytical approaches, and challenges

• DOI: 10.1111/age.13390
• Publication Date: 2023-12-21T00:48:35Z
• Authors: Sree Kanthaswamy
• Keywords: Forensic Genetics; DNA profiling

Abstract Wildlife‐related crimes are the second most prevalent lawbreaking offense globally. This illicit trade encompasses hunting, breeding and trafficking. Besides diminishing many species their habitats ecosystems, hindering economic development of local communities that depend on them, undermining rule law financing terrorism, various cross‐species transmissions (zoonoses) pathogens, including COVID‐19, can be attributed to wildlife crimes. Wildlife forensics applies interdisciplinary scientific analyses support enforcement in investigating Its main objectives identify taxonomic question, determine if a crime has been committed, link suspect conviction prosecution perpetrator. article reviews its implications, forensic science investigation, common forms biological evidence, DNA, DNA techniques challenges genetics. The also contributions genetic markers such as short tandem repeat (STR) mitochondrial (mtDNA) markers, which provide probative data representing bulk evidence for solving crime. review provides an overview databases, critical searching matching profiles sequences establishing how frequent particular population or geographic region. As such, this will contain in‐depth analysis current status genetics, it general interest conservation biologists, officers, academics interested combating against using animal methods.