Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41898840›Full record

ArticleGenes2026

Forensic Validation of the 95K SNP Panel and the Parabon Fx Forensic Analysis Platform for Identification of US Military Unknowns Using Extended Kinship Inference.

Jacqueline Tyler Thomas, Courtney L Cavagnino, Kimberly Sturk-Andreaggi, Ellen M Greytak, Julie A Demarest, Suzanne M Barritt-Ross, Timothy P McMahon, Charla Marshall

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genes, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jacqueline Tyler ThomasArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.
Courtney L CavagninoArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.
Kimberly Sturk-AndreaggiArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6857-923X
Ellen M GreytakParabon NanoLabs, Inc., Reston, VA 20190, USA.
Julie A DemarestArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.
Suzanne M Barritt-RossArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.
Timothy P McMahonArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.
Charla MarshallArmed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFMES-AFDIL), Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE 19902, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8495-1748

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesTo identify US military unknowns, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System's Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory has historically relied upon mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat testing. Where no appropriate family reference sample (FRS) is available or skeletal samples are degraded, autosomal single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) testing with next-generation sequencing could assist.

methodsA method utilizing hybridization capture enrichment of a 95,000 (95K) SNP panel, amenable to FRS and extremely challenging samples, was validated. The Parabon Fx Forensic Analysis Platform was used for analysis and extended kinship inference. Skeletal samples (

resultsConsidering FRS with ≥7 ng DNA input into library preparation, 94% yielded ≥66,320 SNPs at ≥5X coverage. SNP recovery for skeletal samples at ≥1X coverage ranged from 5 to 94,197 SNPs, averaging 40,770 SNPs. When skeletal samples resulted in ≥13,000 SNPs, the most likely relationship category was consistent with the expected relationship. A log10 likelihood ratio of ≥4 and a posterior probability of ≥99.99% were established as thresholds for strong statistical support, and 87% of inferences met these thresholds while 13% were considered inconclusive. Pairwise kinship inference between unrelated individuals yielded an unrelated result in 85% of comparisons, 66% with strong statistical support. There were 170 instances of false positive 4th degree relationship inferences with strong statistical support. All false positives involved skeletal samples from individuals of admixed ancestry.

conclusionsWith this approach, autosomal SNP testing can result in reliable kinship inferences between related individuals out to 3rd, and in some cases 4th, degree relationships, increasing the scope of eligible FRS to aid in identifications.

Indexed as

DNA FingerprintingForensic GeneticsMilitary PersonnelPolymorphism, Single NucleotideDNA, MitochondrialFemaleHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMaleMicrosatellite RepeatsPedigreeDNA, Mitochondrialbonedegraded DNAforensic DNAhuman identificationkinship analysismassively parallel sequencing (MPS)next generation sequencing (NGS)single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)skeletal remains

Identifiers

PMID41898840
PMCPMC13025383

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.