This article discusses the development of an efficient panel of SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) for using in ancestry inference.
In recent years, different panels of AISNPS (ancestry informative single nucleotide polymorphisms) have been proposed as a way of determining an individual's ancestry in a forensic context. This article discusses the development of an efficient panel of 55 SNPs that were analyzed on 73 populations from around the world. The main purpose for developing this panel is for use in identifying the geographic/ethnic origin of an unknown sample. The selection of SNPs was balanced in such a way as to ensure that different geographical regions from around the world were robustly distinguishable. The resulting set of SNPs was tested on 73 populations and 3,884 individuals. Examples of how the proposed panel of SNPs varied across certain populations is presented in the article, as are suggestions for future research. 4 tables, 6 figures, and 38 references