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A DNA‐Based Approach for the Forensic Identification of Asiatic Black Bear ( Ursus thibetanus ) in a Traditional Asian Medicine *
Author(s) -
Peppin Lindsay,
McEwing Ross,
Carvalho Gary R.,
Ogden Rob
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00857.x
Subject(s) - biology , dna sequencing , cytochrome b , mitochondrial dna , identification (biology) , zoology , dna , evolutionary biology , genetics , botany , gene
Attempts to prevent illegal trade in bile and gallbladders from Asiatic black bears, Ursus thibetanus , are hampered by difficulties associated with identifying such items. We extracted DNA from bile crystals of unknown species origin and generated partial cytochrome b (cyt b ) sequences using either universal primers (positioned in conserved regions of cyt b ), or primers designed on existing U. thibetanus sequences (UT). Species origin was determined by aligning resolved sequences to reference sequence data. The universal primers were unsuitable for U. thibetanus identification when multiple species templates were present in the samples. The UT primers amplified U. thibetanus DNA from all sample extracts, including those containing mixed species templates. The amplified fragment can distinguish U. thibetanus from the most closely related species, U. americanus , a distinct advantage of DNA sequencing over the methods currently used to analyze suspected U. thibetanus bile.