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Species Identification in Wildlife Crime Investigation Using Diprotodontia

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Species Identification in Wildlife Crime Investigation Using Diprotodontia Species Identification in Wildlife Crime Investigation using Diprotodontia By Linzi M. A. Wilson-Wilde BSc La Trobe University 1995 Grad Dip App Sc La Trobe University 1996 A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Science) Institute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra December 2010 Certificate of Authorship of Thesis Except where clearly acknowledged in footnotes, quotations and the bibliography, I certify that I am the sole author of the thesis submitted today entitled –Species Identification in Wildlife Crime Investigations using Diprotodontia. I further certify that to the best of my knowledge, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. The material in the thesis has not been the basis of an award or any other degree or diploma except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. This thesis complies with University requirements for a thesis as set out in http:/www.canberra.edu.au/secretariat/goldbook/forms/thesisrqmt.pdf. Linzi Wilson-Wilde Stephen Sarre December 2010 ii Copyright Under Section 35 of the Copyright Act of 1968, the author of this thesis is the owner of any copyright subsisting in the work, even though it is unpublished. Under Section 31(I)(a)(i), copyright includes the exclusive right to ‘reproduce the work in a material form’. This, copyright is infringed by a person who, not being the owner of the copyright, reproduces or authorises the reproduction of the work, or of more that a reasonable part of the work, in a material form, unless the reproduction is a ‘fair dealing’ with the work ‘for the purpose of research or study’ as further defined in Sections 40 and 41 of the Act. This thesis entitled ‘Species Identification in Wildlife Crime Investigations using Diprotodontia’ must therefore be copied or used only under normal conditions of scholarly fair dealing for the purposes of research, criticism or review, as outlined in the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. In particular, no results or conclusions should be extracted from it, nor should it be copied or closely paraphrased in whole or on part without consent of the author. Proper written acknowledgment should be made for any assistance obtained from this thesis. Copies of the thesis may be made by a library on behalf of another person provided the officer in charge of the library is satisfied that the copy is being made for the purposes of research or study. Linzi Wilson-Wilde December 2010 iii Statement of Contributions As this thesis is written as a series of chapters prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals, several people other than myself have contributed to the work; and they deserve acknowledgement. • Janette Norman (Melbourne University, previously Victoria Museum), who provided guidance and supervision for all aspects of the PhD study and assisted in the preparation of manuscripts. • James Robertson (Australian Federal Police) who provided guidance and supervision for all aspects of the PhD study and assisted in the preparation of manuscripts. • Stephen Sarre (University of Canberra) who provided guidance and supervision for all aspects of the PhD study and assisted in the preparation of manuscripts. • Arthur Georges (University of Canberra) who provided guidance and supervision for all aspects of the PhD study and assisted in the preparation of manuscripts. • Rebecca Kogios (Victoria Police Forensic Services Department) who greatly assisted in the preparation of the revision (2010 version) of the manuscript presented in Chapter 2, particularly in regards to the legal rulings. These people are included as authors in the following chapters as well as the associated publications, in order of their contribution to the work. However, despite the collaborative nature of this thesis, the work within is my own, and I received no assistance other than that which is stated above. I as Primary Supervisor agree with the above stated proportions of work undertaken for each of the published (or prepared for submission) peer-reviewed manuscripts contributing to this thesis. Prof. Stephen Sarre Date: iv Acknowledgements It has been a long journey. When I began this project I was a Team Leader of the Biology Team for the Australian Federal Police, an active position, but since I had no children completing a PhD seemed feasible. Reality is not always so simple. During the course of this project I have had three children, changed career positions twice and moved interstate. It is safe to say there are numerous people to thank, without whom completing this project would have been impossible. Firstly, Janette Norman should be thanked. Her willingness to accept a student part way through a project and continue to assist beyond the period of requirement, illustrates her dedication and commitment to her students and research. Janette’s high standards drove and inspired me in directions I had not perceived at the beginning. Without her guidance I simply could not have completed this project. I would like to thank James Robertson who continually made the time to encourage me and support me in the face of numerous obstacles. James, you provided great advice and were always willing to listen. I would also like to thank the generosity of the Australian Federal Police who, through James, funded this project and provided study leave and support for conference attendance. My University of Canberra Supervisors Stephen Sarre and Arthur Georges must also be thanked. Steve, your ‘pep talks’ were invaluable, you listened to my ranting and provided good, level headed advice. Arthur, your wonderful guidance in statistical analysis and encouragement to make the most out of my data was greatly appreciated. The Institute for Applied Ecology also provided a laboratory work space for the initial stages of the research and funding support for conference attendance. I would also like to thank my fellow students Jo Lee, Erika Alacs, Anna Macdonald (who also provided Macropus eugenii samples) and Niccy Aiken (who also provided Trichosurus vulpecular samples) for their support and encouragement. I would like to thank Museum Victoria who provided a laboratory and work space where I conducted a majority of my research. Jo Sumner for her helpful advice, Stella Claudas for always ensuring I had the right paperwork, monitoring my budget and just encouraging me, v Rory O’Brien for helping me sort through the collections to find the correct Diprotodontid specimens. Fellow students Paul Ferraro, Joshua Hale, Stephanie Chapple and Katie Smith for being wonderful to bounce ideas off, provide advice and friendship. I would like to thank the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) and the National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS) team who took me on and were willing to support me in completing my PhD by generously providing me with study leave, supporting conference attendance and mostly for believing in me. Of particular mention is Alastair Ross who constantly provided encouragement and support – it was greatly appreciated. Also at ANZPAA I would like to thank Bruce Kerr for IT assistance and Nancy Bakker for assistance with my posters for conferences. At NIFS I would like to thank Ann Gidley for proof reading and formatting assistance. I would also like to thank everyone at ANZPAA who constantly gave me encouragement and seemed interested when I talked about my research. Thanks also go to Runa Daniel and Lorna Hendry for editing assistance even though they knew nothing about species identification or phylogenetics. I would like to thank the Australian National Wildlife Collection for the very generous provision of a majority of the samples. I would also like to thank the Victoria Museum, Peter Spencer at Murdoch University, Victoria Police Forensic Services Department, Australia Museum and Collingwood Children’s Farm for provision of samples. Last, but not least, I would like to sincerely thank my family for their love and support. Jim, Zachary, Sienna and Eloise, I know it was not easy putting up with me over the years; mummy’s laptop and paperwork all over the kitchen bench, the stress and time away from you all. Jim you really came through for me. I love you all and thank you. Linzi Wilson-Wilde vi Abstract This research investigated the issues surrounding species identification in a forensic wildlife crime context using Diprotodontia as a model group. Wildlife crime covers a broad range of offences where there is a deliberate and purposeful illegal activity involving animals and plants for which purposeful gain is the principle motive. Worldwide it is thought to cost between US$10 and US$20 billion dollars annually. Native Australian marsupials such as sugar gliders and wallabies are thought to be targeted for their unique appeal and are currently sold overseas as pets. Numerous marsupials are also the subject of regulated harvesting and international trade, some of which are listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora Appendices. The application of molecular DNA techniques and population genetics theory, in the context of a broader understanding of genetic variation within and among taxa, can provide the basis for determining the provenance of animals or their parts that have been seized as a result of wildlife crime investigations or regulation of legal trade. Current human and non-human analysis systems and equipment in forensic laboratories were reviewed. This information was used to inform what changes in equipment and training are required to implement methods for species identification and the investigation of wildlife crime. Current expertise and methods used for species identification were assessed. It was found that the Ouchterlony antigen/antibody method was being used under the (now confirmed) mistaken belief that it was a definitive or confirmatory test, as opposed to an indicative or opinion based test, as it should correctly be used.
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