Comparative histological analysis of the skin for forensic investigation of some animal species

Abstract

Macroscopical and histological analysis of the skin is fundamental in both human and veterinary forensic investigations. However, databases of differential skin histology of various animal species are rare. The aim of the present study is to identify species-specific differential histological features of the skin that could be used in forensic investigations including animal identification. For this purpose, skin specimens were collected from the neck region of various farm animals including buffalo, cow, camel, sheep, goat, dog, and donkey, and were processed for histological analysis. Our comparative analysis revealed specific histological features in the skin that could differentiate between the studied animal species. The epidermis layer of the skin was very thick in buffalo, intermediate in cow, sheep, goat, dog, and donkey, but very thin in camel. The papillomatous epidermis was very frequent in buffalo, but very rare in cow. In the dermis layer of the skin, four structures were located which showed differential features between the studied animal species: the papillary layer, which was thick in buffalo, camel, sheep, dog, and donkey but thin in cow and goat. The sweat glands, which were few in buffalo, cow, goat, and dog, but numerous and deeply located in the dermis of sheep; they were individually located in all studied animals except in camel and donkey they were arranged in clusters. The hair follicles were characteristic for the skin of sheep as they were present at two different levels in the dermis with simple and compound hair follicles. The sebaceous glands were large and multi-lobular in buffalo, but small and uni-lobular in cow and camel. The hypodermis layer of the skin was very thick in sheep and goat in contrast to all other analyzed animals. In conclusion, the present study provides comprehensive information on the differential histological features of the skin of seven different domestic animal species that could be used as a key in forensic investigations.

Keywords

• forensic medicine
• skin histology
• epidermis
• differential histology