An article in the May edition of Scientific America, entitled Portrait in DNA, discusses the possibility of using DNA to create police style sketches of criminals. This seems to be possible considering scientists recently published a sketch (pictured above) of a 4000 year old ancient Greenlander drawn solely from his DNA remains. All the DNA used came from a small clump of hairs that had been preserved in the permafrost! The scientists first determined that the man was of North Asian decent based on a pattern of DNA variations most commonly found in Siberian populations. They then interpreted single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genes linked to brown eye color in modern Asians. They also found SNPs associated with shovel-shaped front teeth, dry ear wax, and dark skin. They also found variations typical in populations that have adapted to cold indicating that the man had ample body fat. Using this type of analysis of criminal DNA would greatly help investigators find the criminals, especially when there are no witnesses to give a description to an artist. Scientists at George Washington are in the process of developing forensic kits that would determine the subjects eye and hair color, sex and ancestry. However age is difficult to determine because although scientists could took at telomeres, the chromosomal ends that shrink with time, there are many health and environmental factors that influence shrinkage.
The ancient Greenlander was also identified as having a high risk for hypertension and diabetes. Some scientists worry about the ethics behind announcing such discoveries about a criminal to the world, for example the fact that the criminal has a high likelihood of being obese, a smoker, an alcoholic or depressed. Clearly medical privacy is an issue here but if this technology could help us find killers, isn't it worth it? I do hope that a forensic kit as mentioned would only be released and used once it was completely reliable. Unreliable information about physical appearance of the a criminal would only hinder the investigators job.
Tiffany Flossman
The ancient Greenlander was also identified as having a high risk for hypertension and diabetes. Some scientists worry about the ethics behind announcing such discoveries about a criminal to the world, for example the fact that the criminal has a high likelihood of being obese, a smoker, an alcoholic or depressed. Clearly medical privacy is an issue here but if this technology could help us find killers, isn't it worth it? I do hope that a forensic kit as mentioned would only be released and used once it was completely reliable. Unreliable information about physical appearance of the a criminal would only hinder the investigators job.
Tiffany Flossman
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