The gene of 12S rRNA exhibits a high degree of conservation during animal evolution. Its sequence shows partial difference among species but little variation among individuals of the same species. Therefore, the 12S rRNA could be used to perform intra-and inter-specific identification studies. All the deer of genus Muntiacus become endangered due to excessive poaching and thus protected by Chinas Wildlife Protection Law at the national and provincial level. In this study, we employed the sequencing of 12S rRNA to identify two confiscated samples and found out that the two samples were Muntiacus crinifons and Muntiacus reevesi, respectively. The sequence of the 12S rRNA adopted in this study proved to be a suitable genetic marker for species identification of conservation animals.
