Solving crimes: A forensic rove beetles (Staphylinidae) barcode database for Belgium
| dc.contributor.author | Meganck, K. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Desmyter, S. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Francis, F. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Dekoninck, W. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Backeljau, T. | |
| dc.contributor.author | De Meyer, M. | |
| dc.coverage.spatial | Belgium | |
| dc.date | 2017 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-03-14T13:14:37Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-03-14T13:14:37Z | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/11920 | |
| dc.description | Background: Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) are early-stage visitors on corpses. They deposit their eggs on the corpse and the emerging larvae feed on fly larvae. The duration of development from egg to adult is species specific and can be used in forensics to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI), i.e. the time elapsed between death and moment of discovery of a corpse. In addition, the identification of rove beetle larvae can provide information about a potential displacement of the corpse or the manner and cause of death. Therefore, correct identification of rove beetle life stages is important for crime investigators. Fortunately, the species identification can be enhanced by using DNA barcodes, provided that a reliable reference library is available. At present, the forensically important species of Western Europe are not, or only poorly, represented in public databases (e.g. Genbank, BOLD). In order to remediate this gap, the presented project aims at constructing a reference library for 60 rove beetles species found in Belgium. Results: Morphologically identified voucher specimens (currently some 200 specimens comprising 48 species) were obtained from several research institutes in Belgium. In addition, fresh samples were obtained from pig cadavers. Due to the age and preservation of the voucher specimens, the extracted DNA was fragmented and PCR protocols were optimized using previously described internal primers to amplify smaller overlapping amplicons (388 bp and 403 bp long). These short sequences were aligned and assembled into a composite sequence in order to generate full length barcodes per specimen. Significance: Compiling the barcode reference library and optimizing the laboratory protocols will allow forensic investigators to quickly and accurately identify rove beetles at all life stages found on corpses. | |
| dc.language | eng | |
| dc.title | Solving crimes: A forensic rove beetles (Staphylinidae) barcode database for Belgium | |
| dc.type | Conference | |
| dc.subject.frascati | Biological sciences | |
| dc.audience | Scientific | |
| dc.subject.free | Invertebrates | |
| dc.source.title | 7th International Barcode of Life (iBOL) Conference; Genome | |
| dc.source.volume | 60 | |
| dc.source.page | 974 | |
| Orfeo.peerreviewed | No | |
| dc.identifier.rmca | 5018 |
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