Standards in wildlife forensic science, with a focus on non-human DNA analysis.
Greta J Frankham, Rob Ogden, Barry W Baker, Kyle M Ewart, Rebecca N Johnson, Irene Kuiper, Christina D Lindquist, M Katherine Moore, Arame Ndiaye, Lucy M I Webster
Author Information
Greta J Frankham: Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ORCID
Rob Ogden: TRACE Wildlife Forensics Network, Edinburgh, UK. ORCID
Barry W Baker: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Ashland, Oregon, USA. ORCID
Kyle M Ewart: Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ORCID
Rebecca N Johnson: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. ORCID
Irene Kuiper: Netherlands Forensic Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Christina D Lindquist: Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA.
M Katherine Moore: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Conservation Biology Division, Marine Forensic Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. ORCID
For genetic data to be used in forensic casework, it has to be produced within a controlled environment that follows strict quality standards. However, recent reviews have suggested that wildlife forensic laboratories are behind in the development and adherence to appropriate standards for casework. This paper will address these concerns by documenting the standards that have been produced, highlighting the systems of assessment and competency testing available, and reviewing the status of validated reference genetic databases. Networks of dedicated wildlife forensic scientists across the globe, represented in part by the author list for this paper, illustrate the strides taken to build capacity in this field, and an ongoing commitment to present quality wildlife forensic evidence in court.
