Increasing relevance of non-human genetics in Hungarian forensic practice

In step with the evolution of molecular genetics, the application of non-human biological traces is an intensively researched field in forensic sciences [1]. Recently it has been widely acknowledged that this extended possibility - with associated abilities and pitfalls - for forensic DNA examination can provide innovative results in criminal and civil casework as well as in connection with associative evidence. Depending on the specific species or types of traces, the final results can have very different criminalistics value (e.g., plants, dogs or microbiome of soil traces), but it is unquestionable that non-human DNA has an increasing role in forensic biological evidence [2-4]. However, in contrast to the investigation of human DNA-traces, there currently exist no restrictions concerning DNA loci and privacy of genetic information, and a wide spectrum of genetic information and technologies may be applied. The field is developing with animal rights, international (e.g. CITES) conventions, national regulations and professional recommendations [5-7]. The Hungarian forensic practice on animal DNA examination has been developing since 2000 [8]. The range of cases is sufficiently broad, and includes fatal accidents and animal attacks (case #1) as well as illegal trade cases (case #2). In case of degraded animal hair samples we used two sets of Canine STR markers with shortened amplicons, and species specific primers (Ursus sp.) for mitochondrial DNA analysis of mixed samples (case # 2), respectively. The results supported the evaluation of individualization (case # 1), confirming the species identification (case # 2). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.