MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA POLYMORPHISMS - A STUDY OF 50 FRENCH CAUCASIAN INDIVIDUALS AND APPLICATION TO FORENSIC CASEWORK

The analysis of mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms has proved to be effic ient on highly degraded samples or samples having little or no genomic DNA such as hair shafts. In order to use this very sensitive method, the authors first established a database by analysing the mitochondria l DNA polymorphism in 50 French white Caucasian individuals, applied t he analysis to different types of samples that can be found in forensi c investigations and finally performed this method on two forensic cas es involving the discovery of highly putrefied unidentified remains.