Forensic Investigation Assistance (1 Viewer)

Tink82 · Oct 19, 2013

Hi all,

I hope this is in the correct place and that you don't mind me posting! I am currently a final year Forensic Investigation student and as part of my degree I must plan and carry out a project based around my degree topic.

I have decided to look at the various methods of lifting finger prints from bird eggs and which, if any, would be the most effective. As part of my research I am looking in to the surface of eggs. I have already established they are a porous substance so that has given me a good starting point with regards to lifting methods.

What I am hoping you may be able to help me with is the research in to whether different birds produce different eggs ie surface texture, composition. Whether the diet of the bird effects the egg ie sea birds, captive birds etc.

My preliminary experiments will be carried out on chicken, goose, quail and duck eggs then I will most likely use free range chicken eggs as they are widely available and pretty cheap (I need 100+) Would you think that a free range chicken egg is similar to a wild birds?

If you could point me in the direction of any relevant texts or printed articles I would be hugely greatful!

Any help or advice is very welcome, thank you for your time

Ian Lewis · Oct 20, 2013

Tink82 said:
Hi all,

I hope this is in the correct place and that you don't mind me posting! I am currently a final year Forensic Investigation student and as part of my degree I must plan and carry out a project based around my degree topic.

What I am hoping you may be able to help me with is the research in to whether different birds produce different eggs ie surface texture, composition. Whether the diet of the bird effects the egg ie sea birds, captive birds etc.

Any help or advice is very welcome, thank you for your time

Grebes & Flamingos have egg shells composed of an amorphous calcium phosphate, all other birds (except Megapodes) have eggs composed mainly of calcium carbonate. HBW v17 p79

Permission to handle an egg collection in a museum might answer some of your other queries.

Ian

MJB · Oct 20, 2013

Tink82 said:
Hi all, I hope this is in the correct place and that you don't mind me posting! I am currently a final year Forensic Investigation student and as part of my degree I must plan and carry out a project based around my degree topic.

I have decided to look at the various methods of lifting finger prints from bird eggs and which, if any, would be the most effective. As part of my research I am looking in to the surface of eggs. I have already established they are a porous substance so that has given me a good starting point with regards to lifting methods. What I am hoping you may be able to help me with is the research in to whether different birds produce different eggs ie surface texture, composition. Whether the diet of the bird effects the egg ie sea birds, captive birds etc.

My preliminary experiments will be carried out on chicken, goose, quail and duck eggs then I will most likely use free range chicken eggs as they are widely available and pretty cheap (I need 100+) Would you think that a free range chicken egg is similar to a wild birds? If you could point me in the direction of any relevant texts or printed articles I would be hugely greatful!

Any help or advice is very welcome, thank you for your time

Bird eggshells in collections can be subjected to light isotope-ratio analysis, which if the isotope ratio for a nesting location is known, can prove where the eggs were laid, often to within a 10-km square, and sometimes to even better resolution. Now, if fingerprints can be lifted from eggs, then light isotope-ratio analysis might also indicate where the owner of the fingerprints has been before (he/she/it - delete as appropriate) the eggs were touched. Not much use if the eggs were in a nest and the perpetrator had touched only the local environment, but in investigations of illegal egg collections, there could be quite considerable evidence to be adduced.

Stuart Bearhop is the chap to ask on light isotope-ratio analysis- I think he's still doing research at Exeter University.
MJB

Forensic Investigation Assistance (1 Viewer)

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Tink82

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Ian Lewis

aka Gryllo

MJB

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