Phylogenetic DNA Profiling: A Tool for the Investigation of Poaching

Poaching of abalone is a multi-million dollar crime and single-handedly is the greatest threat to the viability of the Australian and New Zealand abalone industries. Contained within the genome of each organism is a full history of its ancestry, documented as a series of accumulated mutations. The rate at which mutations accumulate in any particular gene sequence directly correlates with its importance in life functions where sequences involved with critical life functions accumulate mutations less rapidly. Hence mutation provides a window through which evolutionary relationships can be examined. Traditionally this procedure, known as phylogenetic DNA profiling, has been used to investigate the taxonomy of life forms and to study the origin and development of species. However, it has powerful potential as a forensic tool to assist in the investigation of poaching by being able to trace ancestry, and hence geographical origin, of poached specimens. In this paper we will show the forensic application of phylogenetic DNA profiling to the investigation of poaching using abalone as a model.