BACKGROUND

The commercial bushmeat trade is a growing threat to primates and other species worldwide.  Consequences of the illegal bushmeat trade range from extinction or local extirpation of vulnerable taxa; to the deterioration of subsistence-based human communities living near forests; to the increased risk of disease transmission from wildlife to humans.  

An emerging technology known as “DNA barcoding” could prove to be a valuable addition to our conservation arsenal. This technology provides a method for identifying the species of an unrecognizable sample from small quantities of blood, bone, meat, hair, feathers, or feces.  Thus, DNA barcoding has the potential to address the need for species identification services for local, national, and international user communities and may be a crucial component in attempts to evaluate and demonstrate the scope of the bushmeat problem.