DNA breakthrough helps trace trafficking routes of endangered pangolins

New Delhi: Conservationists may soon have a powerful new tool to track pangolin poaching, thanks to a study that used advanced genetic sequencing to map trafficking routes of the world’s most trafficked mammals.

Pangolins are threatened by shrinking habitats and rampant poaching for their scales, yet tracing seized contraband back to its origin has been notoriously difficult. DNA from confiscated scales is often degraded, limiting forensic analysis.

Now, an international team of researchers has reported a breakthrough in PLoS Biology on May 7. The team successfully used advanced genetic sequencing to map the trafficking routes of the three most-traded species: the white-bellied, Sunda, and Chinese pangolins.

By analyzing genetic material from seized scales, the method can link shipments to specific source populations. Researchers say the approach could help authorities pinpoint poaching hotspots and disrupt illegal supply chains.