EXAM 3: ch.9 mass disaster/miss disasterzs Flashcards
different applications of human identity testing
Forensic cases – matching suspect with evidence
* Paternity testing – identifying father
* Missing persons investigations
* Military DNA “dog tag”
* Convicted felon DNA databases
* Mass disasters – putting pieces back together
* Historical investigations and genetic genealogy
Involves generation of DNA profiles usually with
the same core STR (short tandem repeat) markers
and then MATCHING TO REFERENCE SAMPLE
which 2 human identification tests are the hardest ?
mass disaster/missing persons due to the set of remains being compared to many samples
what references do they use for missing person
1) direct reference, 2) family reference
3) unidentified human remains (bone,tissue,teeth)
what specific DNA is used for most degraded samples
mitochondrial DNA
what is the missing person database
NamUs: National missing and Unidentified
Persons system: Missing and unidentified database
true or false: only medical examiners can enter data but anyone can search the database
true
what features are in a missing person database
sex,race,distinct body features, and dental
what personal items does mass disaster cases usually take as a reference
toothbrush,razors,combs
what is PM and what is AM, where do they come from
post-mortem (remains), ante-mortem (direct references)
why is mass disaster cases so difficult?
due to mixtures and degradation of
DNA
significance of waco branch davidian fire :
- Mount Carmel Branch Davidian
compound in Waco, Texas burned during a raid
by FBI agents - half were identified through dental,fingerprint, anthropological/pathological findings by DNA (STR)
- 26 were identified through family trees
significance of the two crashes in 1996
(spitsbergen and TWA 800 airline crashes)
- airline with 64 russians and 77 ukranians crashed in spitsbergen lead to 100% success through the frigid environment
- TWA flight 800 blew up above NY killing 230 passengers+crew; fragment remains were found through STR typing
what are some other things that STR has been connected to
- mapping disease genes
*characterizing cell lines
*monitoring bone marrow
*transplants
*detecting genetic chimeras
*monitoring needle sharing among drug addicts
*examining human population
(extras: verifying cloning success, detecting fetal cells in mothers blood, genetic genealogy)
what may affect parentage testing ?
mutations
significance on tsunami survivor “baby 81”
parents were able to be reunited with the tsunami survivor through court-ordered DNA test
