Morphological analysis: A powerful tool in wildlife forensic biology

Abstract

It is a truism that “structure is the first thing that we notice whenever looking at organisms” (Gans 1985), and the description and analysis of structure is the province of the science of morphology. Morphological analysis is a well-established and cost-effective technique for the taxonomic identification of wildlife remains. Despite this, it is under-utilized in wildlife crime investigations for reasons including a shortage of trained specialists, the challenge of accessing reference specimens, and the perceived greater rigor of DNA analysis. This paper reviews the methodology of morphological analysis, addresses perceived challenges, and demonstrates the effectiveness of the technique in wildlife forensic biology casework at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.