LENGTH OF THE Y CHROMOSOME IN CRIMINAL MALES

• NCJ Number: 56560
• Journal: CLINICAL GENETICS Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (MARCH 1972) Pages: 281-285
• Author(s): J Nielsen; U Friedrich
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Munksgaard
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Denmark

Annotation

MEASUREMENTS OF Y AND F CHROMOSOMES IN 3 SAMPLES OF CRIMINAL MALES (407 MEN) AND IN 104 NEWBORN BOYS (CONSTITUTING A 10 PERCENT RANDOM SAMPLE OF 1,400) WERE COMPARED IN THIS DANISH STUDY.

Abstract

THE CHROMOSOME ANALYSIS WAS MADE ON LEUCOCYTES OBTAINED FOR 48 HOURS AND THE Y AND F CHROMOSOMES WERE MEASURED IN FIVE WELL-SPREAD METAPHASES DURING WHICH THE Y COULD BE DISTINGUISHED EASILY. THE F CHROMOSOMES WERE MEASURED DIAGONALLY FROM THE END OF ONE CHROMATID TO THE END OF THE OPPOSITE CHROMATID, AND THE Y WAS MEASURED FROM THE END OF THE SHORT ARMS TO THE END OF THE LONG ARMS. THE DISTRIBUTION WAS NORMAL FOR BOTH GROUPS, BUT THE MEAN LENGTH OF THE Y CHROMOSOME WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE CRIMINAL MALES, COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE Y AND THE RISK OF CRIMINALITY, WITH AN INCREASED RISK OF CRIMINALITY AMONG MALES WITH A COMPARATIVELY LARGE Y CHROMOSOME. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE VARIATION IN THE LENGTH OF THE Y IS DUE TO VARIATION IN THE FLUORESCENT PART OF THE LONG ARMS; THESE FINDINGS REVEAL THAT THIS VARIATION IN LENGTH OF THE FLUORESCENT PART OF THE Y IS DUE TO VARIATION IN CHROMOSOME MATERIAL AND NOT JUST TO A DIFFERENCE IN SPIRALIZATION. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)