Ivory DNA test takes poachers to tusk - earth - 26 February 2007 - New Scientist Environment

Ivory DNA test takes poachers to tusk - earth - 26 February 2007 - New Scientist Environment

DNA samples from elephants all over Africa have given scientists a way to pinpoint the geographic origins of ivory. The results of the genetic map provide insights into where poaching is under-reported, and may also help to elucidate trade channels and to confirm the origin of ivory sold as part of limited kill authorizations granted to some south African nations.

From the news item:

A DNA test that reveals where ivory has come from has been used to pinpoint the geographic origins of hundreds of tusks seized from poachers, providing law enforcement agencies with valuable clues.

The test was developed in 2004 through a comparison of elephant DNA from different regions. Theoretically, it can pinpoint the origin of a particular sample to between 500 and 1000 kilometres.

Now, the DNA test has survived its first genuine challenge. It revealed that a huge sample of 532 tusks – seized in Singapore in 2002 but originally shipped from Malawi – came mainly from Zambia, not from multiple locations as originally suspected.

“We were delighted with the results,” says Sam Wasser, who developed the test at the University of Washington in Seattle, US. “The method actually performed better than expected.”

Similar genetic techniques could be valuable tools for challenging the origin of all sorts of animals and animal products where the sourcing is dubious.