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Forensic Test Predicts Eye and Hair Color From DNA

Posted by Soulskill on from the accurate-to-some-amount-of-decimal-places dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A forensic test that has been developed to help police nab perpetrators of crimes can predict a suspect's eye color, hair color, and ethnic origin. The test's ability and the science behind it has been outlined in Forensic Science International: Genetics (abstract). Developed by Susan Walsh and other researchers from the Netherlands, Greece, and Poland, the test uses phenotypes from DNA to ... predict a suspect's appearance using 'low amounts of template DNA, as well as degraded DNA,' which means that the DNA does not need to be perfect in order for the system to read it."

5 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. We swear your honor... by wbr1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The DNA doesn't lie! Sure it was degraded and we had to amplify and replicate degraded copies.. but it said the rapist would have brown hair and blue eyes.. and look.. does the suspect not have brown hair and blue eyes?
    Later, in the jury room... DNA is always right.. GUILTY!!!

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:We swear your honor... by willie3204 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The OJ verdict disagrees with that line of thought

      --
      The answer to all your problems
    2. Re:We swear your honor... by Dr.+Tom · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You'll be hard pressed to find a single peer reviewed study that shows finger prints to be a valid means of identification

      challenge accepted

      http://lpr.oxfordjournals.org/content/7/2/87.short

  2. Re:Abortions ahoy! by iONiUM · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Well, actually people may misuse this in a different way. Cosmetic abortions: aborting because the DNA in your baby seems to indicate it will grow up to be an ugly person.

  3. Re:Ethnic origins by sudden.zero · · Score: 3, Interesting

    True for the most part but now always true. Not to mention that some eye colors are getting rarer. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/world/americas/18iht-web.1018eyes.3199975.html