Pangolin Indexing System: implications in forensic surveillance of large seizures

Conservation genetics of the white-bellied pangolin in West Africa: a story of lineage admixture, declining demography and wide sourcing by urban bushmeat markets

“…Microsatellites markers were powerful enough to differentiate between individuals, and we here confirm that microsatellites genotyping is a theoretically valid approach to apply in pangolin forensic, notably on scale seizures in order to estimate the number of seized carcasses (Singh et al ., 2020; Zanvo et al ., 2022). We illustrated two cases where samples from a same pangolin was collected twice or thrice in Yopougon.…”

Noninvasive genetic monitoring of Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) from Darjeeling district of Northwest Bengal, India

“…The observed (Ho), expected (He), and unbiased (uHe) heterozygosity were 0.38 ± 0.09, 0.55 ± 0.09, and 0.57 ± 0.09, respectively. In the present study, we observed a moderate heterozygosity in Chinese pangolin, higher than Luo et al (He = 0.437) (Luo et al, 2007), and lower than Singh et al (He = 0.61 ± 0.08) in Chinese pangolin and (He = 0.69 ± 0.07) in Indian pangolin (Singh et al, 2020). The low genetic diversity could be a signature of pangolins largely due to overexploitation and restricted gene flow (Ching-Min Sun et al, 2020;Hu et al, 2020;Luo et al, 2007).…”

“…• The regional genetic signature generated in this study may be used by the wildlife forensic professionals/scientists in assigning the wildlife contraband to the source of origin. For nuclear microsatellite analysis, we attempted with 15 markers (Luo et al, 2007) (Supporting Information: Table S2) and developed a Pangolin Indexing System (PIS), which was found to be promising in individualization and evaluating the population genetics parameters of Chinese and Indian pangolins (Singh et al, 2020). Genetically confirmed samples of Chinese pangolin were processed for genotyping as presented in Singh et al (2020).…”

“…Therefore, primary research is required to understand their population status, ability to withstand current and projected habitat change, hunting and poaching pressures. Genetic‐based studies using noninvasive samples is crucial to study the genetic diversity, population estimation, and monitoring especially for species that are cryptic in nature, threatened, and remains in low densities (Carroll et al, 2018; Singh et al, 2020). Thus, genetic study can provide pragmatic data for conservation trace source of confiscated material and management interferences under changing habitat dynamics and increased poaching pressures (Carroll et al, 2018; Joshi et al, 2022).…”

Technical note: Development of DNA quantitation and STR typing systems for Panthera tigris species determination and individual identification in forensic casework

“…The application of forensic genetics is specifically useful to track poaching and illegal wildlife trades. Methods of species identification are used to decipher the genetic composition of traditional Chinese medicine products (Votrubova et al 2017) or animal parts (Panday et al 2014), and individual STR-based identification is used to track ivory (Potoczniak et al 2020), pangolin shells (Singh et al 2020), and rhino horns (Harper 2021). The aim of this technical note is to provide an overview of methodical approaches used to develop molecular systems for species determination/ DNA quantification (Ptig Qplex) and individual identification (Ptig STRplex) of Panthera tigris samples.…”