Department of Biology, Protistology-Zoology Unit, Via A. Volta 4/6, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.
Forensic Sci Int Genet. 2012 Sep;6(5):671-5. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2011.12.001. Epub 2012 Jan 9.
Molecular DNA techniques in combination with appropriate reference population database and statistical methods are fundamental tools to forensic wildlife investigations. This is even more relevant when taxa with uncertain systematics are involved, as is the case of the genus Ovis (Bovidae), whose evolution has been influenced by multiple events of domestication. The Cypriot mouflon, Ovis orientalis ophion, a protected subspecies endemic to Cyprus, is threatened by poaching. This study deals with a case of alleged poaching that occurred in Cyprus (September, 2010). A car did not stop at a checkpoint and when finally blocked by the police, several bloodstained exhibits (n=12) were recovered. Three recently deceased mouflons were found by game wardens at the roadside. The Cyprus Veterinary Services established that these animals had been killed by gunshot. As part of the investigation, DNA testing was performed to establish if there was a link between the dead mouflons and the bloodstained exhibits. The mitochondrial Cytochrome-b gene (Cyt-b) and 12 loci of microsatellite DNA were used as markers. The Cyt-b sequences were obtained from 11 exhibits. They were the same as each other and the same as the single haplotype obtained from the three dead mouflons and all the investigated wild Cypriot mouflons (20 individuals). A database of wild mouflons (47 individuals) from which the unknown samples may have originated was generated. The probability of identity (P(ID)) of the microsatellite panel, computed by genotyping all 47 wild mouflons (10 selected loci, P(ID)=10(-5)), allowed us to assign nine exhibits to two out of the three carcasses (seven with very strong support: Likelihood Ratio, LR>3000 and Random Match Probability, RMP, <10(-3)). This study represents the first genetic reference for the Cypriot mouflon and the first published material of forensic wildlife investigations in Cyprus.
分子 DNA 技术结合适当的参考人群数据库和统计方法是法医学野生动物调查的基本工具。当涉及到分类学不确定的分类群时，这一点更为重要，就像绵羊属（牛科）一样，其进化受到多次驯化事件的影响。塞浦路斯野绵羊，Ovis orientalis ophion，一种仅存在于塞浦路斯的受保护亚种，正受到偷猎的威胁。本研究涉及一起发生在塞浦路斯的涉嫌偷猎案件（2010 年 9 月）。一辆汽车没有在检查站停车，当最终被警察拦下时，发现了几处血迹斑斑的展品（n=12）。护林员在路边发现了三只最近死亡的野绵羊。塞浦路斯兽医服务机构认定这些动物是被枪杀致死的。作为调查的一部分，进行了 DNA 测试，以确定死亡的野绵羊和血迹斑斑的展品之间是否存在联系。线粒体细胞色素-b 基因（Cyt-b）和 12 个微卫星 DNA 位点被用作标记。从 11 个展品中获得了 Cyt-b 序列。它们彼此相同，与从三只死亡的野绵羊和所有调查的野生塞浦路斯野绵羊（20 只个体）中获得的单个单倍型相同。生成了一个野生绵羊数据库（47 个个体），未知样本可能来自该数据库。通过对所有 47 只野生绵羊（10 个选定的位点，P(ID)=10(-5))进行基因分型，计算出微卫星面板的身份概率（P(ID)），我们可以将 9 个展品分配给三个尸骸中的两个（有非常强的支持：似然比，LR>3000 和随机匹配概率，RMP，<10(-3)）。本研究代表了塞浦路斯野绵羊的第一个遗传参考，也是塞浦路斯首例公布的法医学野生动物调查材料。
