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McCrane SM, Mulligan CJ. An innovative transfer DNA experimental design and qPCR assay to identify primary, secondary, and tertiary DNA transfer. J Forensic Sci 2024; 69:618-630. [PMID: 38108622 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
"Touch DNA" is a form of trace DNA that is presumed to be deposited when an individual touches something and leaves behind DNA-containing skin cells, sweat, or other fluids. While touch DNA is often the result of direct contact (i.e., primary transfer), it can also be indirectly transferred between surfaces or individuals (e.g., secondary or tertiary transfer). Even experts cannot distinguish between different types of transfer and do not fully understand which variables affect direct versus indirect transfer or how often each type of transfer occurs. In this study, we utilize an innovative protocol that combines a paired male and female transfer DNA experimental design with an Amelogenin qPCR assay to generate data on primary, secondary, and tertiary DNA transfer. We report frequencies of indirect DNA transfer and also investigate the potential effects of participant age, self-identified ethnicity, and skin conditions on DNA transfer. Out of 22 experimental trials, we detected primary transfer (male + female) in 71% of trials, secondary DNA transfer in 50% of trials, and tertiary DNA transfer in 27% of trials. No significant associations were found between primary DNA transfer and age, self-identified ancestry, or skin conditions, however, all individuals with sloughing skin conditions demonstrated primary DNA transfer and we suggest this variable be explored in larger samples. These results contribute to a better understanding of the conditions under which secondary and tertiary DNA transfer occurs and can be used to propose realistic DNA transfer scenarios in court cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M McCrane
- Anthropology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Connie J Mulligan
- Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Balk MA, Deck J, Emery KF, Walls RL, Reuter D, LaFrance R, Arroyo-Cabrales J, Barrett P, Blois J, Boileau A, Brenskelle L, Cannarozzi NR, Cruz JA, Dávalos LM, de la Sancha NU, Gyawali P, Hantak MM, Hopkins S, Kohli B, King JN, Koo MS, Lawing AM, Machado H, McCrane SM, McLean B, Morgan ME, Pilaar Birch S, Reed D, Reitz EJ, Sewnath N, Upham NS, Villaseñor A, Yohe L, Davis EB, Guralnick RP. A solution to the challenges of interdisciplinary aggregation and use of specimen-level trait data. iScience 2022; 25:105101. [PMID: 36212022 PMCID: PMC9535407 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding variation of traits within and among species through time and across space is central to many questions in biology. Many resources assemble species-level trait data, but the data and metadata underlying those trait measurements are often not reported. Here, we introduce FuTRES (Functional Trait Resource for Environmental Studies; pronounced few-tress), an online datastore and community resource for individual-level trait reporting that utilizes a semantic framework. FuTRES already stores millions of trait measurements for paleobiological, zooarchaeological, and modern specimens, with a current focus on mammals. We compare dynamically derived extant mammal species' body size measurements in FuTRES with summary values from other compilations, highlighting potential issues with simply reporting a single mean estimate. We then show that individual-level data improve estimates of body mass—including uncertainty—for zooarchaeological specimens. FuTRES facilitates trait data integration and discoverability, accelerating new research agendas, especially scaling from intra- to interspecific trait variability. Functional Trait Resource for Environmental Studies (FuTRES; few-tress) Individual-level trait datastore for paleo-, zooarcheological, and modern specimens Millions of individual-level trait data records already available for mammals Semantic framework for enhanced interoperability, R package for access, and APIas
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan A. Balk
- National Ecology Observatory Network, Battelle, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20560, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - John Deck
- Berkeley Natural History Museums, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Biocode LLC, Junction City, OR 97448, USA
| | - Kitty F. Emery
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ramona L. Walls
- Critical Path Institute, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Dana Reuter
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Raphael LaFrance
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales
- Archaeozoology Lab, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, 06060 Mexico City, CdMx, Mexico
| | - Paul Barrett
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Jessica Blois
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Arianne Boileau
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Laura Brenskelle
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Nicole R. Cannarozzi
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - J. Alberto Cruz
- Archaeozoology Lab, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, 06060 Mexico City, CdMx, Mexico
| | | | - Noé U. de la Sancha
- Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | | | - Maggie M. Hantak
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Samantha Hopkins
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
- Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Brooks Kohli
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY 40351, USA
| | - Jessica N. King
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michelle S. Koo
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - A. Michelle Lawing
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Helena Machado
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Samantha M. McCrane
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Bryan McLean
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
| | - Michèle E. Morgan
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Suzanne Pilaar Birch
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Denne Reed
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Reitz
- Georgia Museum of Natural History, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Neeka Sewnath
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Nathan S. Upham
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Amelia Villaseñor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Laurel Yohe
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Edward B. Davis
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY 40351, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Robert P. Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Corresponding author
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