Type of presentation: Poster

ID-6-P-1743 Forensic Scanning Electron Microscopic examination of animals Hairs from Felidae Family

HING L. H.1, TEO H. C.2, FOONG M. J.2, HUKIL S.2, WAN NUR SYAZWANI2, KASWANDI A. M.3, ZORIN S. A.4, NORMALAWATI S.4

1Environmental Health & Industrial Safety Programme, School of Diagnostics & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan , 2Forensic Science Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia , 3Institute of Medical Science Technology, UNIKL, 43000 Kajang, Selangorr, 4Biomedical Science Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Email of the presenting author: [email protected]

The outermost cuticle of hair structure functions as a protective scales layer, where the scales overlap and arrange in the direction of hair root towards the hair tip. These scales form a unique pattern with distinctive characteristics and it is useful for forensic scientists in identification of animal species during an investigation of hair samples (1,2). Hair samples of four species from Felidae family were observed using scanning electron microscope, i.e. bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), gir (Panthera leo), cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) and sumatra tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). No cleaning procedure was employed to ensure the appearance of the hair samples is in its original condition. In Felidae family, hair cuticular pattern of all species showed regular wave pattern, transversal hair cuticular orientation with smooth cuticular dorsal margin (Fig 1) except gir lion (Fig 2), which possesses rippled cuticular dorsal margin. Statistical analysis showed that there is significant mean difference of average scale layer difference measured four species of animal chosen, Bengal tiger showed significant higher average scale layer difference as compared to sumatra tiger and leopard cat. We found that gir lion could be identified through its rippled cuticular dorsal margin while scale layer difference need to be measured in order to distinguish between bengal tiger, sumatra tiger and leopard cat. We also found out that cuticular scales pattern and other related characteristics could still be observed clearly even though the samples did not undergo any significant cleaning procedure. This study showed that the examination of cuticular morphology of hair samples combined with measurements are conclusive enough to draw solid identification up to between different subspecies animal level (3, 4). As compared to other group such as the deer group, no such difference could be observed. References B. J. Teerink, Atlas and Identification Key: Hair of West-European Mammals, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press (1991). M.S. Dahiya, S.K. Yadav, Elemental Composition of Hair and its Role in Forensic Identification, Open Access Scientific Reports, 2(4), doi: 10.4172/scientificreports.721 (2013). M.S. Dahiya, S.K. Yadav, Scanning electron microscope characterization and elemental analysis of hair: a tool in identification of felidae animal, J Forensic Research, 4(1), 178, doi: 10 4172/2157-7145.1000178 (2013).H. Brunner, B.J. Coman, The Identification of Mammalian Hair, Melbourne: Inkata Press (1974).

Acknowledgement: The authors acknowledged the contribution from National of Malaysia,

Fig. 1: Hair of Bengal Tiger

Fig. 2: Hair of Gir Lion