Ivory samples included in this project. (A) the Loxodonta spp. samples (8 bangles) and in the lower right corner is the single Elephas maximus sample and (B) the Mammuthus primigenius samples. Credit: Rebecca F. Shepherd et al.
Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Lancaster have developed a novel laser-based method to distinguish between illegal elephant ivory and legal mammoth tusk ivory to aid enforcement officials in combating the illegal ivory trade.
While the trading or procurement of elephant ivory is illegal, selling ivory from extinct animals is not. This has led to an increase in sales of mammoth tusk ivory, posing new challenges for customs agents worldwide as the two sources of ivory can be challenging and time-consuming to differentiate. In the study, published in Plos One, the team of researchers developed a novel Raman spectroscopy technique to rapidly differentiate between elephant ivory and mammoth ivory based on small biochemical differences in the tusks.
To validate the method, the team scanned elephant and mammoth tusk samples at the London Natural History Museum. The results of the testing demonstrated that the method was a viable option that provided rapid non-destructive identification of the sample. Additionally, the team noted that preliminary data suggests the method could be used to identify which part of the tusk the sample came from as well as potentially differentiate between individual species of the Elephantadiae genus.
“The gold standard method of identification recommended by The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for assessing the legality of ivory predominantly are expensive, destructive and time-consuming techniques,” said Dr Rebecca Shepherd, the studies lead author. “Raman spectroscopy can provide results quickly (a single scan takes only a few minutes), and is easier to use than current methods, making it easier to determine between illegal elephant ivory and legal mammoth tusk ivory. Increased surveillance and monitoring of samples passing through customs worldwide using Raman spectroscopy could act as a deterrent to those poaching endangered and critically endangered species of elephant.”
“By offering a quick and simple alternative to current methods, the use of Raman spectroscopy could play an important role in tackling the illegal ivory trade,” said Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of EPSRC. “The researchers’ work illustrates how the development and adoption of innovative new techniques can help us to address problems of global significance.”