DNA FORENSICS: A POPULATION GENETIC AND BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGOCAL PERSPECTIVE

questions of legal relevance are enumerated. It is argued that use of population genetic models of DNA variation, and empirical data on world-wide diversity in anthropologically defined populations, are being used to provide conservative assessment of DNA-based evidence which is helpful for source attribution of forensic specimens. The increasing popularity of DNA forensics demands attention to the future directions in which DNA forensics may be used for human identification, particularly in complex cases arising from mass disasters and natural calamities. The chapter ends with noting the research questions that are to be addressed in enhancing the power of applying the knowledge of human genome diversity in DNA forensics. RFLP PCR-based oligo-nucleotide-specific hybridization technique, electrophoresis allele STR other the CODIS STR loci of regional populations of the continental the differences Chakraborty and (1992). Heterozygote deficiency, population substructure and their implications in DNA fingerprinting. Hum Genet. 88 , 267-272. [This paper shows that the observed heterozygote deficiency at VNTR loci in population data cannot be totally explained by population substructure effects alone]. a rebuttal of the statistical genetic principles in DNA forensics, the discusses the cumulative efficiency of using blood group and protein polymorphism markers in parentage analysis]. Authors’ [This letter to the editor exemplifies the population genetic flaws of general criticism against DNA typing databases, showing that even if the assumptions of the strict product rule for computing coincidental DNAS match probability are violated, they have no consequence on the conservative methods currently used in such computations]. limits DNA profile frequencies the sampling several multinomial distributions]. [This paper shows that the allele frequency data on STR loci used in DNA forensics, even when they are estimated from convenient sampling of populations, accurately reflect phylogenetic relationships between populations. Further, this paper provides a comparative study of STR and SNP loci to suggest the number of SNP loci which would be needed to equal or exceed the power of the current panel of STR loci used in DNA forensics]. an exact test of Hardy proportions of genotypic data a provides power computation of tests of independence of alleles within a multiallelic showing that the low power is associated with small analytically derived the empirically paper presents allele frequency data on microsatellite loci in anthropologically defined global human populations, showing that the genetic diversity between populations at these loci conforms to the notion of larger differences between continental populations in comparison with the local populations within the major several PCR methods are suitable for 16-locus fluorescent describes the validation work for the Promega multiplex PowerPlex 16 system kit used in DNA forensics, which include the two pentanucleotide repeat loci Penta D and Penta E]. (1997) World-wide gene diversity at the HLA-DQA1 locus. Am. J. Hum Biol . 9,735-749. [This paper presents empirical data on the levels of departure from independence of alleles within a locus due to population substructure and genetic admixture effects at the HLA-DQA1 locus. Empirical data on the extent of population substructure effects at this locus is also presented for a world-wide compilation of genotype data at this locus]. (1991). Three-locus systems impose additional constraints on pairwise disequilibria. Genetics 129 , 925-930. [This paper shows mutilocus systems impose additional constraints on linkage disequrilibria, and hence, without such constraints invoked tests of multilocus linkage disequilibria may not be valid]. Mitochondrial DNA molecules and virtual number of mitochondria per cell in mammalian cells. [This paper developed a biochemical method for estimating the virtual number of mitochondria per cell, and showed that the amount of mtDNA per cell is closely regulated with given cell types but differ widely by cell type]. Analysis of enzymatically amplified beta-globin and HLA-DQ alpha DNA with allele-specific oligonucleotide a PCR-based method to detect polymorphisms due to single base substitution detected by an allele-specific oligonucletide hybridization assay]. the technique of polymerase chain reaction, PCR, to amplify DNA segments, which eased and revolutionized genotyping and sequencing polymorphic regions of any genome].