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Current Sequencing Technology Makes Microhaplotypes a Powerful New Type of Genetic Marker for Forensics

NCJ Number
248162
Journal
Forensic Science International Genetics Volume: 12 Dated: September 2014 Pages: 215-224
Date Published
July 2014
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This project's goal was to accumulate sufficient evidence to validate the feasibility and utility of microhaps for forensic work, especially for distinguishing familial lineages.
Abstract
Microhaplotype (microhap) loci have extents of 200 base pairs (bp) or less. The match probabilities achieved by the pilot panel of 31 unlinked microhaps are already comparable to or better than the current 13 CODIS STRPs, and they compare favorably to the panel of 45 unlinked IIRSNPs the authors reported in an earlier study, at least for all the large major populations studied, which includes those routinely encountered in forensic labs in the United States and Europe. The panel also demonstrates distinct patterns of microhap frequencies for populations deriving from the major geographical regions of the world. This is helpful when forensic applications deal with ancestry inference. The authors strongly recommend the further development of microhaplotype loci. 2 tables, 4 figures, and 40 references

Date Published: July 1, 2014