| feather barbs as a good source of mtdna for bird species identification in forensic wildlife investigations. | abstract: background: the ability to accurately identify bird species is crucial for wildlife law enforcement and bird-strike investigations. however, such identifications may be challenging when only partial or damaged feathers are available for analysis. results: by applying vigorous contamination controls and sensitive pcr amplification protocols, we found that it was feasible to obtain accurate mitochondrial (mt)dna-based species identification with as few as two feather barbs. this minimall ... | 2011 | 21794178 |