ElePhant
Definition
A microsatellite (STR) reference database for African and Asian elephants, used to assign ivory seizures to continental and population-level origin.
- Database type
- Microsatellite (STR) reference database
- Species covered
- African and Asian elephants
- Forensic use
- Assigning ivory origin
- Resolution
- Continental and population level
Common questions
How does an STR reference database assign geographic origin to seized ivory?+
Allele frequencies at multiple microsatellite loci vary between elephant populations in different regions, so a DNA profile from a tusk can be statistically compared against the reference database's population frequencies to estimate the most likely region or population of origin.
Why is population-level assignment useful beyond simply confirming the species is elephant?+
Confirming the species alone does not indicate where poaching occurred, while assigning the sample to a probable population helps investigators target enforcement and track trafficking routes back toward specific source regions.
Related terms
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- RhODIS
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- SHERLOC
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- WildCAP
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