Recent Advances in Forensic DNA Phenotyping of Appearance, Ancestry, and Age

April 2023 in “ Forensic Science International Genetics ”

Manfred Kayser, Wojciech Branicki, Walther Parson, Christopher Phillips

Forensic DNA Phenotyping hair structure hair loss massively parallel sequencing

TLDR Forensic DNA Phenotyping can now better predict appearance, ancestry, and age from DNA, but more research is needed for precise police use.

Forensic DNA Phenotyping (FDP) has significantly advanced in predicting a person's appearance, ancestry, and age from crime scene DNA samples. Recent developments include expanded appearance predictions beyond basic traits to include eyebrow color, freckles, hair structure, and hair loss in men. Ancestry inference has improved to detect sub-continental ancestry and co-ancestry patterns in admixed individuals. Age estimation now includes various tissues like saliva and bones. Technological advancements have enhanced DNA analysis capabilities, allowing for the simultaneous examination of numerous DNA predictors using massively parallel sequencing (MPS). Validated MPS-based FDP tools are available for predicting multiple appearance traits, multi-regional ancestry, and age from different tissues. However, achieving the desired detail and accuracy for police investigations requires further research, technical development, and funding.

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Recent Advances in Forensic DNA Phenotyping of Appearance, Ancestry, and Age

Research cited in this study

research Genetic Prediction of Male Pattern Baldness Based on Large Independent Datasets

research Epigenetic Age Estimation in Saliva and Buccal Cells

research Exploring the Possibility of Predicting Human Head Hair Greying from DNA Using Whole-Exome and Targeted NGS Data

research Dissection of Genetic Variation and Evidence for Pleiotropy in Male Pattern Baldness

research Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis of Individuals of European Ancestry Identifies New Loci Explaining a Substantial Fraction of Hair Color Variation and Heritability

research Genetic Prediction of Male Pattern Baldness

research A Genome-Wide Association Scan in Admixed Latin Americans Identifies Loci Influencing Facial and Scalp Hair Features

research Prediction of Male-Pattern Baldness from Genotypes

research Evaluation of the Predictive Capacity of DNA Variants Associated with Straight Hair in Europeans

research Evaluation of DNA Variants Associated with Androgenetic Alopecia and Their Potential to Predict Male Pattern Baldness

research Improving Human Forensics Through Advances in Genetics, Genomics, and Molecular Biology

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