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Externally Visible Characteristic (EVC)

Definition

An observable physical trait (eye colour, hair colour, skin tone, height, facial morphology) whose variation in the population is partly genetically determined and can be predicted from SNP genotypes. EVC predictions are investigative intelligence, not identification evidence.

Related terms

Ancestry-Informative Marker (AIM)
A SNP with an allele-frequency difference (FST) above 0.4 or 0.5 between continental population groups. A panel of 100-200 AIMs provides probabilistic...
FORENSeq DNA Signature Prep
Commercial MPS kit from Verogen that types STRs, Y-STRs, X-STRs, identity SNPs, AIMs, and EVC SNPs in a single library preparation and...
HIrisPlex-S
A 41-SNP externally visible characteristics (EVC) panel for simultaneous prediction of eye, hair, and skin colour, developed at Erasmus MC Rotterdam by...
Parabon Snapshot
A commercial DNA phenotyping service (Parabon NanoLabs, Virginia, US) that genotypes thousands of SNPs from a crime-scene sample and uses machine learning...
SNPforID Consortium
European-funded research consortium that published the foundational 52-SNP identity panel for forensic use in 2004-2006. The 52-plex is validated for maximum discriminating...

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