Computer program traces ancestry using anonymous DNA samples

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Plot of genetic markers for 255 individuals from four continental regions. Red and green represents identical genotypes. Black represents genotypic variations. Notice the distinct patterns formed in the four continental blocks highlighting the geneti ...
Plot of genetic markers for 255 individuals from four continental regions. Red and green represents identical genotypes. Black represents genotypic variations. Notice the distinct patterns formed in the four continental blocks, highlighting the genetic similarities between people of the same ancestry. Credit: Peristera Paschou

A group of computer scientists, mathematicians, and biologists from around the world have developed a computer algorithm that can help trace the genetic ancestry of thousands of individuals in minutes, without any prior knowledge of their background. The team’s findings will be published in the September 2007 edition of the journal PLoS Genetics.


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