DNA rewrites our memory: Recovering the missing through their genetic profile


Abstract


Continuous advances in DNA analysis for forensic purposes have set milestones in the search for genetic identity in criminal cases, disasters, and disappearances. Technological advances in the study of our genome allow us to infer who was the owner of remains found, for example, in a mass grave or an anonymous tomb: where they lived, their physical appearance, or their family origin. The analysis of DNA of forensic interest manages, thanks to a series of fixed variations between individuals, to identify them individually via their genetic profile. This identification can be carried out by comparing the profile of the human remains with known profiles or by their compatibility with the DNA inherited by their relatives.


Keywords


missing persons; genetic profile; methylation profile; phenotypic profile; biogeographic profile

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