Why can't DNA analysis identify the race of a victim or suspect?

Why can't DNA analysis identify the race of a victim or suspect? Just wondering. It would be useful in rape cases and murders etc.

A two-second search on the internet brought the solution to your problem:

because all populations are genetically diverse, and because there is a complex relation between ancestry, genetic makeup and phenotype, and because racial categories are based on subjective evaluations of the traits, it is not the case that there are any specific genes, that can be used to determine a person's race.

Never mind.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

I think your two second search may have missed the point of the thread.. Though it did come to the right answer.
But that's me just hoping for high standards.

For me the thread is..

We are not so different. Race is a goofy way of characterizing people.

That's at least the thread in my head. Was hoping for more pages, before the curtain was pulled.

originally posted by: EA006

originally posted by: ManFromEurope
A two-second search on the internet brought the solution to your problem:

because all populations are genetically diverse, and because there is a complex relation between ancestry, genetic makeup and phenotype, and because racial categories are based on subjective evaluations of the traits, it is not the case that there are any specific genes, that can be used to determine a person's race.

There must be a way.

Maybe more research required?

originally posted by: John_Rodger_Cornman
Why can't DNA analysis identify the race of a victim or suspect? Just wondering. It would be useful in rape cases and murders etc.

To answer your question, it certainly can be used to identify specific genotypes that could be attributed to the owners race. But in real practice it's hardly necessary, not to mention the fact that DNA answers almost conclusively specifically an individual, what benefit would a broader sample search be to any investigator. You do realize why the news no longer mentions the perps ethnicity right? Because every night, every broadcast, every crime, night after night, they were black... It goes without saying. Cops know exactly who to look for even if most people want to be conveniently ignorant of the realities. Now I'm not saying only blacks commit crime, of course, that would be ludicrous.

a reply to: Reverbs

Why? How? The OP wanted a tool to find out about the "race" of victim and/or culprit in a crime.


There is none, as "race" is neither finely defined enough, nor is this ever possible, see above.

a reply to: John_Rodger_Cornman

The color of someones skin is the same type of genetic variation as the color of someone's eyes, or the shape of an ear, the length of the fingers or the shape of the toes.

originally posted by: catjuggler

originally posted by: John_Rodger_Cornman
Why can't DNA analysis identify the race of a victim or suspect? Just wondering. It would be useful in rape cases and murders etc.

To answer your question, it certainly can be used to identify specific genotypes that could be attributed to the owners race. But in real practice it's hardly necessary, not to mention the fact that DNA answers almost conclusively specifically an individual, what benefit would a broader sample search be to any investigator. You do realize why the news no longer mentions the perps ethnicity right? Because every night, every broadcast, every crime, night after night, they were black... It goes without saying. Cops know exactly who to look for even if most people want to be conveniently ignorant of the realities. Now I'm not saying only blacks commit crime, of course, that would be ludicrous.

So people are being led to believe it's always black people?

a reply to: beezzer

Wow is that how it works, you don't say, so exactly how many Irishman get Sickle cell...... You're not read up on the subject obviously, there are numerous genetic markers specifically applicable to any given race, and yes there are only 3 "races" of humans, Negroid, Caucasoid and Mongoloid, arguably Pacific Islander being a 4th.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

I don't believe that.
There must be a skin colour gene.

I'm not being racist but there must be a way to tell.

Maybe there's a way through process of elimination to narrow down someone's race.

originally posted by: ManFromEurope
a reply to: Reverbs

Why? How? The OP wanted a tool to find out about the "race" of victim and/or culprit in a crime.


There is none, as "race" is neither finely defined enough, nor is this ever possible, see above.

You are mistaken about me. Your second sentence yes, that was my point.
Your first sentence about the purpose of the OP. You are right or I am, I don't know unless the OP says...
People can be quite interesting in there angles.. Now from my perspective I would have made a thread like this to talk about race being a goofy way to look at things, not DNA tests specifically.

You do understand people make OPs to get people to come out and talk, and discuss things, with a veiled topic sentence right?

Was it the dog with the lab coat that makes you think he is asking what he appears to be asking?

I am not sure, so we shall see I guess.

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: John_Rodger_Cornman

The color of someones skin is the same type of genetic variation as the color of someone's eyes, or the shape of an ear, the length of the fingers or the shape of the toes.

Those are not the same..
Genetics are not how you imagine.
So for instance if you are coastal people eating seafood, you have darker skin, same gene.. Producing melanin.. But you don't need the extra Vitamin D.. But it doesn't mean you can say they are "black."

Smithsonian
humanorigins.si.edu...

Early studies of human diversity showed that most genetic diversity was found between individuals rather than between populations or continents and that variation in human diversity is best described by geographic gradients

These results show that when individuals are sampled from around the globe, the pattern seen is not a matter of discrete clusters – but rather gradients in genetic variation (gradual geographic variations in allele frequencies) that extend over the entire world. Therefore,there is no reason to assume that major genetic discontinuities exist between peoples on different continents or "races."

a reply to: Reverbs

Looks pretty smart that dog.

a reply to: catjuggler

Phenotypic expression is connected with other traits, but phenotypes are just physical gene expressions.

a reply to: beezzer

I'm well aware of what Phenotype means, it's not even remotely applicable to the OP question nor my statement of facts, so now red hair makes you Irish? Try to follow; A phenotype has nothing to do with an anthropologic or biologic classification (ie: Linnaean) of the human race, as I said simply, there are 3 races: Negroid, Caucasoid and Mongoloid, there are genetic markers via DNA tests that can definitively answer whether a sample has any or multiple of these. End of story, I suppose one could insist that these well established and recognized sub-species (we used to call them varieties) don't exist and we should all hold hands under a rainbow flag, however that's not the position of every scientist involved in the matter, including but not limited to Anthropologist, Biologist, Geneticist, etc.

Back to the OPs point, simply arrest the Black suspect, you'll be correct over 63% of the time.

DNA haplotypes and haplogroups is the "science" used to determine a bunch of things.

Even Neanderthal is grouped and present in many modern Humans.

Race? Maybe, I don't know enough to say.

Unless the "science" is skewed and not real.

Hmmm.

I've seen on that show Forensic Files that they can indeed. A serial rapist murderer was found to be black and not a white suspect a witness has falsely reported it to be. It slowed the hunt down looking for a white guy in a white truck. That being most serial killers are white! He was caught with the DNA results.
So this was a few years ago.

I've seen it in other cases as well.

a reply to: catjuggler

I guess I didn't make myself clear, I gave an explanation as to why someone could not determine someone's race by a DNA sample.

And it would also have to depend on the sample and if the person was a Lewis Positive secretor to even get any genetic information.