NCJ Number
233919
Journal
Forensic Science International: Genetics Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2011 Pages: 27-32
Date Published
January 2011
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the X-chromosome markers in kinship testing.
Abstract
The standard practice of forensic kinship evaluation uses unlinked autosomal markers. However, X-chromosome markers have recently gained recognition as a powerful tool to complement the information provided by autosomes, particularly in complex cases. In this paper, the X-chromosome mode of transmission is addressed in the theoretical identity-by-descent framework. Formulas for the joint genotypic probabilities considering various pedigrees relating two inbred and/or non-inbred individuals are derived. Finally, the importance of X-chromosome markers is highlighted by the fact that, in addition to complementing the autosomal information, X-chromosome transmission allows differential weighting of certain hypotheses regarding pedigrees belonging to the same autosomal class, i.e., pedigrees that are indistinguishable by the use of unlinked autosomal markers. Illustrative examples of common kinship testing are shown. (Published Abstract) 3 boxes, 5 tables, 3 figures, and 11 references