TY - JOUR
T1 - Big bad wolf or man's best friend? Unmasking a false wolf aggression on humans
AU - Caniglia, R.
AU - Galaverni, Marco
AU - Delogu, M.
AU - Fabbri, E.
AU - Musto, Cataldo
AU - Randi, E.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The return of the wolf in its historical range is raising social conflicts with local communities for the perceived potential threat to people safety. In this study we applied molecular methods to solve an unusual case of wolf attack towards a man in the Northern Italian Apennines. We analysed seven biological samples, collected from the clothes of the injured man, using mtDNA sequences, the Amelogenin gene, 39 unlinked autosomal and four Y-linked microsatellites. Results indicated that the aggression was conducted by a male dog and not by a wolf nor a wolf x dog hybrid. Our findings were later confirmed by the victim, who confessed he had been attacked by the guard dog of a neighbour. The genetic profile of the owned dog perfectly matched with that identified from the samples previously collected. Our results prove once again that the wolf does not currently represent a risk for human safety in developed countries, whereas most animal aggressions are carried out by its domestic relative, the dog.
AB - The return of the wolf in its historical range is raising social conflicts with local communities for the perceived potential threat to people safety. In this study we applied molecular methods to solve an unusual case of wolf attack towards a man in the Northern Italian Apennines. We analysed seven biological samples, collected from the clothes of the injured man, using mtDNA sequences, the Amelogenin gene, 39 unlinked autosomal and four Y-linked microsatellites. Results indicated that the aggression was conducted by a male dog and not by a wolf nor a wolf x dog hybrid. Our findings were later confirmed by the victim, who confessed he had been attacked by the guard dog of a neighbour. The genetic profile of the owned dog perfectly matched with that identified from the samples previously collected. Our results prove once again that the wolf does not currently represent a risk for human safety in developed countries, whereas most animal aggressions are carried out by its domestic relative, the dog.
KW - Animal attacks
KW - Dog
KW - Human safety
KW - Microsatellites
KW - mtDNA
KW - Non-invasive genetics
KW - Wolf
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84977620728&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.fsigen.2016.06.009
DO - 10.1016/j.fsigen.2016.06.009
M3 - Letter
AN - SCOPUS:84977620728
SN - 1872-4973
VL - 24
SP - e4-e6
JO - Forensic Science International: Genetics
JF - Forensic Science International: Genetics
ER -