FORENSIC APPLICATION OF REPETITIVE DNA MARKERS TO THE SPECIES IDENTIFICATION OF ANIMAL-TISSUES

Highly repetitive DNA markers have been used for determining the speci es origin of animal tissues in cases of illegal commercialization and poaching of game animals. This approach has been used in cases involvi ng white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), moose (Alces alces) and black bear (Ursus americanus). Digesting the DNA with various restric tion enzymes, agarose electrophoresis and staining with ethidium bromi de revealed unique banding patterns for each species. These patterns h ave been used to distinguish meat from game animal species from commer cial sources of meat and organs. Data are presented from two Ontario c ourt cases that demonstrate the application of the procedure.