The Genetic Structure of Native Americans in North America Based on the Globalfiler (R) STRs

• NCJ Number: 252329
• Author(s): Kelly L. McCulloh, Jillian Ng, Robert F. Oldt, Jessica Weise, Joy Viray, Bruce Budowle, David G. Smith, Sreetharan Kanthaswamy
• Date Published: November 2016
• Length: 6 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: The Enhancement of the Native American CODIS STR Database for Use in Forensic Casework

Annotation

This project used the Globalfiler® STR markers to characterize the genetic structure of ten tribal populations from seven geographic regions in North America, including those not presently represented in forensic databases.

Abstract

Current forensic STR databases, such as CODIS, lack population genetic data on Native American populations. Information from a geographically diverse array of tribes is necessary to provide improved statistical estimates of the strength of associations with DNA evidence. The current project obtained samples from the Arctic region, Baja California, California/Great Basin, the Southeast, Mexico, the Midwest, and the Southwest. They were analyzed for allele frequencies, observed and expected heterozygosities, and F-statistics. The tribal samples exhibited an FST or θ value above the conservative 0.03 estimate recommended by the National Research Council (NRC) for calculating random match probabilities among Native Americans. The greater differentiation among tribal populations computed here (θ = 0.04) warrants the inclusion of additional regional Native American samples into STR databases. (Publisher abstract modified)