Research Group 2: Evolutionary Genetics

Molekular Forensics

Besides ist scientific work our group also provides molecular forensic service. Poaching and illegal trading of animals or animal products are severe threats to the conservation of wildlife and in direct contrast with one of the main goals of our work - protection of biodiversity. The use of modern DNA based molecular forensic methods helps more and more to fight against poaching, illegal trading and collecting. That's why we work on behalf of state institutions, social organisations and even private clients in the field of molecular investigations, related to the prevention of cruelty to animals in its broadest sense.

Examples of  possible work:

• determination of animal species (CITES)
• investigation of  genetic relatedness of individuals (CITES)
• criminal offenses against the life of  animals and the cruelty to animals
• molecular individualisation and assigning of traces

We perform our investigations by using high end molecular techniques and tools and extensive computational programs for searching and  analysis of data. To compare our results we held a large collection of blood and tissue samples (ARK) of rare animal species from all over the world..

Out of the laboratory:

Poaching in Africa

Caviar Trade

From: WGL- Journal (2000) 2, Page 8

DNA-analysis and the fight against poaching

German wildlife scientists support conservation projects in Eastafrica

 At the Berlin Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) scientists use latest DNA-techniques e.g. in the fields of research of wildlife diseases, reproductive biology and biodiversity. Today these techniques harbour the possibilities to detect levels and patterns of genetic differentiation within every organism or within every ecological and evolutionary time frame and also on a biogeographic scale. The geneticists from the IZW determine genetic variability of small and isolated populations of endangered species, detect evolutionary relevant events like mutations and migrations or support ongoing breeding programs (Somali wild ass, Przewalski horse). With the aid of DNA-forensic science it is also possible to fight against poaching activities.

Time and place of the story: June, 27th 1998 near the Saadani Wildlife Reserve at the river Mligazi in North-East-Tanzania. In an area called " heart of the darkness"an anti-poaching-group was chasing a suspect. The man carrying a gun caliber 458 was running away and could only be stopped by a warning shot from the wildlife rangers. The rangers confiscated a hunting knife with few blood stains and tissue particles on the surface (figure 1). The owner of the knife claimed that the traces originated from a cattle. The man was known to the wardens and linked to ivory delicts but he owned the gun legally and at first his assertion could not be proven wrong.

In course of the investigation the Tanzanian wildlife conservation authority asked the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife (IZW) Research in Berlin for support in this case, since the IZW was at the time already engaged in some wildlife conservation projects in East Africa and known to the authorities. The genetecists extracted small amounts of DNA from the microscopic blood traces on the knife. With the aid of the polymerase chain reaction they were able to amplify the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from those blood stains. Thereafter the most exciting part of the story just began. The scientists compared the newly obtained sequence information with known sequences of many other wildlife and domestic animals that were either stored in an international GeneBank or had been previously generated in their own lab. Fast computer programs searched for sequence similarities and the first suspicion became true: the accused had been lying. The fiction of the blood stains being of African domestic cattle origin could be dismissed immediately due to major sequence dissimilarities (40 positions;13,7%). Also completely excluded was a contamination with human DNA (sequence differences in 79 positions; 25,8%). But now the question arose, which species did the blood traces actually come from? With a computer program a sequence network was constructed including all interesting cytochrome b sequences from the database. With 99% similarity the DNA sequence from the knife was placed near the corresponding sequence of the bushbock (figure 2). Because these animals occur in the Saadani Wildlife Reserve the scientists concluded a very high probability for the fact that this knife was being used in poaching a bushbock.

Poaching was and is a main cause for the dramatic decline of many wildlife species, e.g. rhinos, tigers and turtles. Conservationists from all over the world including an increasing number also in Germany fight hard against illegal hunting. This work is tough and dangerous and only sometimes they catch a poacher in the act. But know it is possible -like this example shows- to discover criminal offences even on the other end of the world. Modern DNA forensics helps to make poaching, illegal trading and collecting more difficult.

Publication:

C. Pitra & D. Lieckfeldt : Molekular-forensischer Beitrag zur Über-führung eines mutmaßlichen Wilderers: ein Fallbericht. Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaften (1999) 45, 270-275

Caviar trade

A molecular approach to control the international trade in black caviar

A secure species identification - a basic of each conservation program - is most important for the commercial use of endangered species. A molecular approach was developed used for sturgeon species identification within the CITES agreement. The secure species identification is therefore possibly for nearly all sturgeon species for the first time.

Mislabeled lots of caviar were observed during last years, therefore a molecular method for species identification of sturgeon products, esp. black caviar, was developed for its use in the international trade. Sequences of the entire cytochrome b (cytb) gene from 858 sturgeon specimens were used for discriminating between 22 sturgeon species, and potential species-specific restriction sites were determined. No single restriction endonuclease can be used for the differentiation of all species. Depending on the species, from one to four different enzymes are necessary for species identification. Overall, using seven different restriction endonucleases, 17 acipenseriform species can be separated on the mtDNA level on the basis of characteristic species-specific restriction patterns. The three species of the genus Scaphirhynchus (S. albus, S. platorynchus and S. suttkusi), as well as A. gueldenstaedtii and A. persicus, were not differentiated. Our approach provides an opportunity to identify and control the trade in sturgeon products outside of the three main caviar producing species, A. gueldenstaedtii, A. stellatus, and Huso huso. Besides the trade, the method is important for the management and conservation programs too. The necessity to combine nuclear and mtDNA markers for more precise identification is also discussed. The following hybrids were observed using mitochondrial and nuclear markers: one A. gueldenstaedtii/A. stellatus hybrid, one A. gueldenstaedtii/A. ruthenus hybrid, five hybrids between A. gueldenstaedtii or A. persicus and A. nudiventris.

Publications:

Jenneckens I, Meyer JN, Hörstgen-Schark G, May B, Debus L, Ludwig A (2001): First genomic marker for species identification of one Black Caviar producer: LS-39 - a multipotent sturgeon microsatellite. J APP ICHTHYOL 17, 39-42.

Ludwig A, Debus L & Jenneckens I (2002): A molecular approach to control the international trade in black caviar. INTERNAT REV HYDROBIOL 87 5-6, 661-674.