Human and insect mitochondrial DNA analysis from maggots
Wells, JD
Department of Justice Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.

Introna, F, Jr
Sezione di Medicina Legale (D.I.M.I.M.P.), Università di Bail, 70125 - Policlinico, Bari, Italy.

Di Vella, G
Sezione di Medicina Legale (D.I.M.I.M.P.), Università di Bail, 70125 - Policlinico, Bari, Italy.

Campobasso, CP
Sezione di Medicina Legale (D.I.M.I.M.P.), Università di Bail, 70125 - Policlinico, Bari, Italy.

Hayes, J
Retired, University of Texas at San Antonio, School of Public Health, PO Box 1472, Boerne, TX.

Sperling, FAH
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9.


Abstract
During the course of our forensic investigations, we have encountered situations where it would have been useful to have evidence, other than direct contact between the two, for concluding that a carrion-fly maggot developed on a particular human victim. If a maggot collected during a death investigation did not develop on the victim, then its age is not relevant to estimating the postmortem interval. In this study we demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data can be obtained from the dissected gut of a maggot that had fed on human tissue. These data can be used to identify both the human corpse upon which the maggot had been feeding and the species of the maggot itself.

Keywords:
Cynomyopsis cadaverina, cytochrome oxidase, death investigation, forensic entomology, forensic science, hypervariable region, mitochondrial DNA, specied identification

Paper ID: JFS4630685

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Author Wells JD, Introna F, Jr, Di Vella G, Campobasso CP, Hayes J, Sperling FAH Title Human and insect mitochondrial DNA analysis from maggots Symposium , Committee on