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Population Substructure Can Significantly Affect Reliability of a DNA‐led Process of Identification of Mass Fatality Victims
Author(s) -
Kračun Stjepan Krešimir,
Ćurić Goran,
Biruš Ivan,
Džijan Snježana,
Lauc Gordan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2007.00492.x
Subject(s) - substructure , population , biology , haplotype , genetics , loss of heterozygosity , demography , genotype , allele , engineering , gene , structural engineering , sociology
Aiming to evaluate the effects of population substructure on the reliability of a DNA correspondence in the process of human identification, we used the model of “in silico” constructed populations with and without substructure. Effects of population substructure were evaluated at the level of locus heterozygosity, Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and mini‐haplotype distribution. Inbreeding in a subpopulation of 100 individuals through 10 generations did not significantly alter the level of heterozygosity and Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. However, analysis of mini‐haplotype distribution revealed a significant homogenization in separated subpopulations. Average observed mini‐haplotype frequency ( f o ) increased to threefold from expected values ( f e ), and the number of mini‐haplotypes with f o / f e above 10 increased over sixfold, suggesting that the effects of population substructure on calculated likelihood ratios (LR) might be larger than previously estimated. In most criminal cases, this would not represent a problem, whereas for identifications in large‐scale mass fatality events, population substructure might considerably increase the risk of false identification.