1
|
Junno JA, Väre T, Tikkanen J, Heino MT, Niskanen M, Kakko I, Honka J, Kallio-Seppä T, Kvist L, Harmoinen J, Aspi J. Stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen in hair keratin of suspected man-eating wolves from 1880s. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4946. [PMID: 38418893 PMCID: PMC10902326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55521-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The so-called man-eating wolves of Turku, a pack of three wolves, reportedly killed 22 children in South-Western Finland in 1880-1881. Enormous efforts were carried out to eradicate them. In January 1882 the last remaining wolf was killed. Since then, there has been considerable debate regarding the validity and extent of the man-eating behaviour. This study aims to clarify whether man-eating behaviour can be observed from the remains of these wolves. One of the wolves was mounted in 1882 and is on display at St. Olaf's school in Turku, enabling us to collect hair keratin samples. Additionally, hair keratin was collected from two other suspected man-eaters. We analysed carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values to study the wolf's diet during the last months of its life. Samples from seven temporally concurrent wolves were used to construct reference values. Our analyses indicated that δ15N values of suspected man-eaters were relatively low compared to the reference sample. We could not detect clear trends in isotope ratios associated with potential man-eating behavior. We believe that this lack of distinctive patterns can be explained by the relatively minor role that man-eating played in their overall diet.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juho-Antti Junno
- Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
- Anatomy, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Tiina Väre
- Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Laboratory of Chronology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jouni Tikkanen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Matti T Heino
- Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Iiro Kakko
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Johanna Honka
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Titta Kallio-Seppä
- Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- The Museum of Torne Valley, Tornio, Finland
| | - Laura Kvist
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jenni Harmoinen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jouni Aspi
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hebenstreitova K, Salaba O, Trubac J, Kufnerova J, Vanek D. The Influence of Tanning Chemical Agents on DNA Degradation: A Robust Procedure for the Analysis of Tanned Animal Hide-A Pilot Study. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:147. [PMID: 38276276 PMCID: PMC10817434 DOI: 10.3390/life14010147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Illegal wildlife trade is currently on the rise, and it is becoming one of the most lucrative crime sectors. The rarer the species, the higher the demand. Wildlife trade falls under international regulations, such as the CITES convention. Proving that this convention has been violated is a complex process and can be very difficult to do. DNA analysis methods remain (in many cases) the only way to determine whether a certain specimen originated from a protected animal species, a specific individual, or a species in which it is legal to trade. Tanned animal hides are a specific type of specimen. With this type of biological material, obtaining amplifiable DNA is often difficult. This pilot study aimed to map the effect of the chemicals used in the tanning process on the degradation of the DNA yielded from such samples. The DNA was quantified using two different approaches: qPCR and Qubit fluorometry. The degree of DNA fragmentation was assessed by determining the degradation index. The results indicate that reagents containing chromium have the greatest influence on DNA degradation. However, by using the presented protocol, enough amplifiable DNA can be obtained from hides treated with aluminum-based reagents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristyna Hebenstreitova
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Salaba
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Trubac
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Kufnerova
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- CRL Radiocarbon Laboratory, Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Truhlářce 38, 180 86 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Vanek
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Forensic DNA Service, Budínova 2, 180 81 Prague, Czech Republic
- Bulovka University Hospital, Budínova 2, 180 81 Prague, Czech Republic
- 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, V Úvalu 84, 150 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Koehler G, Hobson KA. Tracking cats revisited: Placing terrestrial mammalian carnivores on δ2H and δ18O isoscapes. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221876. [PMID: 31479471 PMCID: PMC6720029 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopic compositions in environmental water and hair was investigated for both domestic cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). A strong, but different, covariance was measured between the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopic compositions of local precipitation and hair keratin from both cats and dogs. These isotopic differences are most likely a result of the differences between the dietary and drinking water needs of cats compared to dogs. Moreover, the δ2H and δ18O values of hair from captive and wild felids and canids, such as cougars (Puma concolor), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and wolves (Canis lupus) are broadly consistent with these measurements. This evidence indicates that while the water budgets of terrestrial mammalian carnivores need to be considered in isotopic applications, it is clear that felids and canids may be placed on tissue–specific hydrogen and oxygen isotopic landscapes for ecological, provenance, or forensic studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Koehler
- NHRC Stable Isotope Laboratory, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Keith A. Hobson
- NHRC Stable Isotope Laboratory, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
|
5
|
Mandoreba TY, Cloete KJ, Minnis-Ndimba R, Kupika OL. A Novel Application of a Cryosectioning Technique to Aid Scat Hair Microanalysis. J Forensic Sci 2018; 64:1181-1186. [PMID: 30513553 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Scat hair presents a diverse profile of hairs for morphological assessment that may find versatile applications in wildlife forensic investigations. Successful morphological assessment of scat hair microstructure, however, depends on a robust sectioning methodology. We assessed the feasibility and efficacy of a cryosectioning technique compared to that of a gold standard hand-sectioning technique. Scat hairs were embedded in paraffin wax and hand-sectioned, while cryopreserved scat hairs were sectioned with a cryostat. The results showed that cryosectioning preserved the pristine morphology of the scat hair and provided cross sections more amenable to high-resolution imaging of hair internal microstructure than hand-sectioning. The cryosectioning technique may find novel applications as a more reliable and robust technique to aid (i) scat hair internal microstructure analysis for cross-referencing with species identification keys in wildlife forensic studies and (ii) downstream toxicological analysis in wildlife forensic studies as hair biochemistry is not altered during cryopreservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Talia Y Mandoreba
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.,Cheetah Outreach Project, PO Box 1009, Somerset West, 7137, South Africa
| | - Karen J Cloete
- Materials Research Department, iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences, National Research Foundation, PO Box 722, Somerset West, 7129, South Africa
| | - Roya Minnis-Ndimba
- Materials Research Department, iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences, National Research Foundation, PO Box 722, Somerset West, 7129, South Africa
| | - Olga L Kupika
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
| |
Collapse
|