Published:
2 Nov 2022 18:57 GMT
A new study reveals that they are important.
Forensic researchers at Flinders University (UF) in Australia have examined the presence and transfer of human DNA in pets such as cats for the first time. The study, which transcended This Tuesday, he considers felines as key evidence in investigations, since they can be recipients and vectors of the DNA of a person of criminal interest. The experts collected human DNA from domestic cats and found detectable levels in most samples. DNA profiles were able to be linked to a person of interest in 70% of the pets tested.
“Human DNA collection should become very important in crime scene investigations, as data on companion animals such as cats and dogs are often missing as it relates to human DNA transfer,” says Heidi Monkman, Research Scientist UF Forensics. “These pets can be very relevant to assess the presence and activities of the occupants of the house or any recent visitors to the scene,” he said.
The study
Their study was conducted with 20 cats from 15 households. The researchers took fur samples from each feline and collected DNA samples from most of the study’s human participants. Both samples were then processed. Household members also completed questionnaires about the pets’ behavior and daily habits. This included how often the cat was touched and by whom in the household.
Detectable levels of human DNA were found in 80% of cat samples and the DNA profiles generated from 70% of the felines in the study were of sufficient quality to link them to a specific human. Most of the DNA came from people in the same household as the animal.
In a home with two cats and two people, one of the animals, of the sphinx breed, hairless, carried the DNA of a third unknown human being, which was particularly interesting, as the donor could not be identified. The other cat, a short-haired ragdoll breed, did not return positive results. Both cats had equally interacted with the humans in their home. The results of this study have been publishedrecently in Forensic Science International: Genetic Supplement Series.
Its importance
“This type of data [logrados de una escena del crimen que incluye mascotas] can help us understand the meaning of the DNA results obtained, especially if there is a match to a person of interest,” said Dr. Mariya Goray, a senior UF DNA transfer expert. “Are these DNA findings the result of criminal activity or could they have been transferred and deposited at the scene via a pet?Goray questioned.
The researchers believe that further research is required on the transfer, persistence and prevalence of human DNA to and from cats and other companion animals and the influences on the animals’ behavioral habits, DNA shedding status of owners and many other relevant factors.
