The Advantages of the Scanning Electron  Microscope in the Forensic Studies of Hair  in Domesticated and Wild Animals

Dr. O.P. Choudahry; B.S. Dhote; S.K. Bharti; S. Sathapathy

Volume : III, Issue : II, February - 2014

The Advantages of the Scanning Electron Microscope in the Forensic Studies of Hair in Domesticated and Wild Animals

Dr. O. P. Choudahry, B. S. Dhote, S. K. Bharti, S. Sathapathy

Abstract :

Within the forensic identification the study of animal hair has remain limited to cross-species comparisons from the same family but there is also considerable changes in those animals like scale layer differentiation growth pattern, tensile strength, granulation and elemental profile of the animal hair. Here a rapid method is described for assessing a variety of morphological characteristics for identification of species that could be easily used by forensic investigators to identify the hairs from different species by just a fraction of single hair sample using Scanning Electron Microscope (S.E.M). Use of an optical light microscope gives very poor topographic resolution of hair features. While the scanning electron microscope gives better resolution, there is still the matter of replication of the surface of the sample to be investigated, which gives another possibility for error in investigation. The advantages of using the Scanning Electron Microscope (S.E.M.) for domesticated and wild animal�s hair studies far surpass the technique of light or Transmission Electron Microscopy (T.E.M.) microscopic studies. Determinations of surface characteristics such as scale count, hair diameter, surface deis, hair shape, scale structure and surface damage, whether physical or chemical may be significant in in¬vestigative. The aim of this study is to investigate the hair in domesticated and wild animals, thereby making a contribution in filling the gap of knowledge in this field. As per knowledge, in many vetero-legal cases one fails to identify the hairs of animal and confuse them with those of some other small ruminants and wild animals. This investigation will be helpful to the field veterinarians as well as zoo veterinarians. Elemental analysis for animals can be done by using Energy Dispersive Spectrum coupled with SEM for analysis of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Sulfur. Significant results were obtained are can be further used to establish a concordance with the species identification.