DNA fingerprinting for forensic identification: potential effects on data interpretation of subpopulation heterogeneity and band number variability.

摘要: Some methods of statistical analysis data on DNA fingerprinting suffer serious weaknesses. Unlinked Mendelizing loci that are at linkage equilibrium in subpopulations may be statistically associated, not independent, the population as a whole if there is heterogeneity gene frequencies between subpopulations. In populations where used for forensic applications, assumption fragments occur independently different probes, loci, or fragment size classes lacks supporting so far; some contrary evidence. Statistical association alleles cause estimates based independence to understate true matching probabilities by many orders magnitude. The assumptions and with constant frequency within class appear contradicted available mean variance number per person. mistaken use geometric instead arithmetic compute probability every randomly chosen person present among specimen substantially match blots, even other involved calculations taken correct. conclusion astronomically small chance, which have been claimed applications fingerprinting, presently lack substantial empirical theoretical support.