Swietenia
Definition
The mahogany genus (S. macrophylla, S. mahagoni, S. humilis), listed on CITES Appendix II. The subject of well-developed cpSSR population genetic reference databases used for provenance verification of mahogany timber products.
- Genus
- Swietenia (family Meliaceae)
- Key species
- S. macrophylla, S. mahagoni, S. humilis
- CITES status
- Appendix II
- Marker used
- Chloroplast SSR (cpSSR) haplotypes
- Use
- Provenance verification of traded mahogany timber
Common questions
Why is chloroplast DNA used rather than nuclear DNA for Swietenia provenance?+
Chloroplast DNA is maternally inherited and shows less recombination than nuclear DNA, so cpSSR haplotypes stay geographically structured across a species' range, letting analysts match a wood sample's haplotype to a reference population and infer harvest region.
Does a Swietenia DNA match prove the exact country of harvest?+
Usually only to a broader genetic population or region, not a single country border, because haplotype distributions can span political boundaries. Analysts report a probable source area, and the strength of that call depends on how densely the reference database samples that region.
How does CITES Appendix II listing affect what a lab is asked to test?+
Appendix II trade requires an export permit showing legal, sustainable sourcing, so customs and forensic labs use species identification and provenance testing together to check that declared origin and species match what is actually in a shipment.
Related terms
- Chloroplast Microsatellite (cpSSR)
- A short tandem repeat locus in the chloroplast genome. Maternally inherited and non-recombining in most trees, cpSSR haplotypes diverge geographically and are...
- ICP-MS
- Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: the laboratory reference method for trace element quantification in food matrices. Uses high-temperature argon plasma to atomise...
- Isoscape
- A map of isotope ratio variation across a geographic area, derived from systematic sampling of soil, water, plant, or mineral material; used...
- Population Assignment
- A genetic method that compares a specimen's microsatellite or SNP profile to reference databases of known-origin individuals, assigning the specimen to the...
- Stable Isotope Ratio
- The ratio of a heavy to a light stable (non-radioactive) isotope of an element, expressed as delta (delta) in per-mil notation relative...