To determine the expected frequency of a one‐locus genotype, we employ the Hardy–Weinberg Eq. (2.1). In doing so, we are implicitly accepting that all of the assumptions of Hardy–Weinberg are approximately met. If these assumptions were not met, then the Hardy–Weinberg equation would not provide an accurate expectation for the genotype frequencies! To determine the frequency of the three‐locus genotype in Table 2.2, we need allele frequencies for those loci, which are found in Table 2.3. Starting with the locus D3S1358, we see in Table 2.3 that the 17‐repeat allele has a frequency of 0.2118 and the 18‐repeat allele a frequency of 0.1626. Then, using Hardy–Weinberg, the 17, 18 genotype has an expected frequency of 2(0.2118)(0.1626) = 0.0689 or 6.89%. For the two other loci in the DNA profile of Table 2.2, we carry out the same steps.
D21S11 | 29‐Repeat allele frequency = 0.1811 |
30‐Repeat allele frequency = 0.2321 | |
Genotype frequency = 2(0.1811)(0.2321) = 0.0841 or 8.41% | |
D18S51 | 18‐Repeat allele frequency = 0.0918 |
Genotype frequency = (0.0918)2 = 0.0084 or 0.84% |
The genotype for each locus has a relatively large chance of being observed in a population. For example, a little less than 1% of Caucasian U.S. citizens (or about 1 in 119) are expected to be homozygous for the 18‐repeat allele at locus D18S51. Therefore, a match between evidence and suspect DNA profiles homozygous for the 18 repeat at that locus would not be strong evidence that the samples came from the same individual.
Table 2.3 Allele frequencies for nine STR loci commonly used in forensic cases estimated from 196 US Caucasians sampled randomly with respect to geographic location. The allele states are the numbers of repeats at that locus (see Box 2.1). Allele frequencies (Freq) are as reported in Budowle et al. (2001). Table 1 from FBI sample population.
D3S1358 | vWA | D21S11 | D18S51 | D13S317 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allele | Freq | Allele | Freq | Allele | Freq | Allele | Freq | Allele | Freq |
12 | 0.0000 | 13 | 0.0051 | 27 | 0.0459 | <11 | 0.0128 | 8 | 0.0995 |
13 | 0.0025 | 14 | 0.1020 | 28 | 0.1658 | 11 | 0.0128 | 9 | 0.0765 |
14 | 0.1404 | 15 | 0.1122 | 29 | 0.1811 | 12 | 0.1276 | 10 | 0.0510 |
15 | 0.2463 | 16 | 0.2015 | 30 | 0.2321 | 13 | 0.1224 | 11 | 0.3189 |
16 | 0.2315 | 17 | 0.2628 | 30.2 | 0.0383 | 14 | 0.1735 | 12 | 0.3087 |
17 | 0.2118 | 18 | 0.2219 | 31 | 0.0714 | 15 | 0.1276 | 13 | 0.1097 |
18 | 0.1626 | 19 | 0.0842 | 31.2 | 0.0995 | 16 | 0.1071 | 14 | 0.0357 |
19 | 0.0049 | 20 | 0.0102 | 32 | 0.0153 | 17 | 0.1556 | ||
32.2 | 0.1122 | 18 | 0.0918 | ||||||
33.2 | 0.0306 | 19 | 0.0357 | ||||||
35.2 | 0.0026 | 20 | 0.0255 | ||||||
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