Paternity & DNA Testing

Two state court rulings last year updates long-established laws, and now allow the use of DNA testing to:

1. Terminate child support in previously settled divorce or paternity suits when the test proves the man is not the child’s biological father, and
2. Challenge a husband’s paternity claim in court if the unmarried man is proven to be the biological father.

Paternity DNA testing is used in many legal situations, including the two described above. While the scenarios in which a DNA test is needed may vary, the DNA testing process itself is simple and the same for every person who wishes to use the test results in court:

1. Contact an AABB-accredited laboratory, such as DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC), to initiate a legal DNA test. This test uses the Chain of Custody, which assures courts and other parties that the samples were taken from properly identified individuals.
2. DDC will schedule a sample collection appointment at a time and place that is convenient to you. Buccal (cheek) swabs are the preferred way to collect DNA, as they are painless and non-invasive.
3. When the samples reach the laboratory, it takes 2 working days to complete the test.
4. Receive the results via mail or online.

DDC’s DNA test results are recognized by courts and government agencies worldwide. For more information, call us at 1-800-613-5768.

Scientists in China have completed the genome sequence for Genghis Khan’s direct descendant—the first complete genome sequence from a representative of the Mongolian population.

The unnamed man is Khan’s 34th- generation descendant, who was chosen for his fully defined family pedigree dating back to the 13th century, and the absence of intermarriage with other ethnic groups. This may have been particularly important, because Khan is famous for being prolific. According to the article:

A study released in 2003 revealed that 8 percent of the males living in the regions of the former Mongolian Empire carried a nearly identical Y chromosome, suggesting that they were all direct descendants of Genghis Khan and his many sons. According to the study, as many as 0.5 percent of all males on the planet today may be descendants of Genghis Khan.

The scientists’ goal in decoding this genome sequence is to explore genetic differences and examine the characteristics of genetic diseases found among the Mongolian people.

Genome sequencing also provides information that scientists can use in tracing a person’s ancestry. As indicated above, testing the Y chromosome is often used to trace paternal lineages. DNA Diagnostics Center offers Y-chromosome comparison testing to investigate a possible paternal lineage between two males.

Our Ancestry division also offers a Y-STR test that gives ancestry researchers their Y haplogroup—revealing the geographic origins of their direct paternal ancestor. Genghis Khan belongs to the Haplogroup C.

A team of Dutch scientists have developed an eye color test that can determine a suspect’s eye color from a DNA sample left behind at a crime scene, a news article reports.

This new test will help investigators identify potential suspects in cases where a DNA profile from crime scene evidence does not have a match in existing DNA databases. However, the test alone cannot be used as evidence towards a conviction in court, because it only has an accuracy of 94%.

Eye color is one of the many external features scientists are investigating with the hope of developing tools in the field of DNA forensics. Physical characteristics can be controlled by one gene, or a combination of genes, which makes some features easier to decode than others. The field of DNA forensics continues to evolve at an exciting pace, and the possibility of creating a physical sketch based on DNA evidence is real, albeit far off into the future.

DNA Diagnostic Center’s Forensic Division continues to monitor these developments in the field. As a leader in forensic DNA services, our forensic scientists have worked with many legal and law enforcement professionals, providing case consultation and DNA testing.

For more information, please visit DDC Forensics‘ website or call 1-800-406-1940.

Although the bobtail in the classic Christmas carol refers to “the style of the horse’s tails—a tail cut short or a tail gathered up and tied in a knot,” the fashion is not limited to horses. In fact, some dog breeds also sport a bobtail—and some animal owners been known to artificially dock a dog’s tail to conform to a breed standard.

DDC’s Veterinary Division now offers a DNA test that will determine if a dog is a Natural Bobtail—that is, if it is really and truly genetically short-tailed.

The bobtail trait is controlled by a dominant gene that follows a somewhat revised version of Mendelian inheritance—dogs with one copy of the dominant Natural Bobtail gene will exhibit a short tail, while dogs with two copies exhibit long tail. Two copies of the recessive gene are considered lethal for dogs—the embryos do not survive to term.

The DNA test will allow animal owners and prospective buyers to determine whether the a dog is a Natural Bobtail or has been artificially docked. It will also help breeders to manage mating patterns and make selection decisions.

For more information, visit DDC Veterinary or call them at 1-800-625-0874

Happy Holidays from all of us at DDC!

The OC Register is running a series of stories entitled “Faces of Immigration,” featuring real-life stories of people whose lives have been affected by immigration. This week’s article features how a DNA test allowed a 19-year-old Vietnamese boy to finally reunite with his mother: he was 10 years old when his immigration case was first filed.

The family was not initially given the option to take a maternity DNA test to prove the biological relationship required for a family-based visa. These days, DNA testing for immigration is becoming more common, and many people are well-informed about how a DNA test can provide evidence for a biological relationship when family records are missing, or when immigration officials deem the presented records unacceptable or insufficient to prove a family relationship.

DNA Diagnostics Center is one of the few AABB-accredited laboratories that are authorized to perform DNA testing for immigration cases. We have served immigration clients for more than 15 years, from many countries around the globe.

For more information about our immigration DNA testing services, please visit our Immigration section, or call 1-800-613-5768.

A recent article in ScienceNews discusses recent research on the genetic diversity found in Native Americans today. DNA testing has been used to trace the population shifts that occurred when European explorers reached the Americas.

A group of scientists have observed a striking change in the DNA of Native Americans that may correlate with the introduction of smallpox to the continent—estimates show that there was as much as 50% decrease in the Native American population due to the disease.

The Native American population rebounded within 200 to 300 years, according to the article. Those who survived the disease would have acquired greater resistance to it, and passed the resistance on to succeeding generations. Four out of the 5 major DNA sequence patterns found in Native Americans today seems to have arisen within the past few hundred years, correlating with the time frame of the first European contact.

The testing performed in this study focuses on mitochondrial DNA, used in DDC’s maternal lineage testing service. This test is used by family history researchers and genealogy enthusiasts as a tool to gain more insight into their family’s deep ancestral roots.

DDC also offers DNA testing services for Native Americans to provide proof for biological relationships (paternity or other family relationships), which may be needed in the process of enrolling for tribal membership. Several Native American tribes currently use our services to establish paternity, provide supporting evidence for enrollment or disenrollment, reunite adopted children with their biological relatives, and claim child support and other benefits.

DDC’s associate laboratory director, Dr. Thomas Reid, will be presenting a scientific poster detailing the techniques used in DDC’s cell line authentication service this weekend at the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

The integrity of cell lines used in scientific research has been shown to be compromised in many studies (described in an open letter signed by leading scientists). Human cell lines are often used in the study of human diseases—their causes, progression, and prevention. However, research results can be altered by contamination of cell lines by other human and non-human sources, such as the mouse feeder cells that are part of the culture environment, or bacteria such as mycoplasma.

Top scientific organizations are now issuing guidelines regarding the standards for validating the identity of cell lines used in publicly funded research and in studies submitted for publication to scientific journals. DDC’s laboratory offers a convenient and affordable service to enable researchers to meet these cell line authentication requirements.

For more information about this new service, call our dedicated cell line specialists at 1-800-929-0815 or contact us via email.

See also: DDC’s Press Release

Discovery magazine has compiled a slideshow featuring what scientists have discovered or developed regarding the various items on your Thanksgiving menu. Entitled “The Genome of Your Thanksgiving Supper,” the 2010 article provides interesting facts about the turkey genome, which contains 80 chromosomes (humans have 46), and how potatoes and tomatoes are genetically related.

The study of DNA in different organisms contributes to our understanding not only of these plants and animals—many reveal clues about how human DNA works as well.

DDC wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving week!

Last week, reports came out that a paternity suit was being filed against teen pop star Justin Bieber. This week, Bieber’s legal camp reportedly agreed to a DNA test, with intentions of suing Mariah Yeater, who filed the suit, for what they called “malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claims.”

If you are interested in following the story, below are a few news reports discussing the various aspects of the case:

• DDC’s laboratory director, Dr. Michael Baird, was recently interviewed by Discovery News for an article discussing how a DNA test will provide the answer in Bieber’s paternity case.
• The first report of the paternity suit against Beiber was filed November 2.
• Justin’s reps vehemently deny the allegations.
• Law professors comment on what constitutes credible evidence in a paternity suit that may result in a court order compelling a DNA test.
• Bieber agrees to a paternity test to settle the matter when he comes back to the United States in two weeks. His team threatens to sue Yeater when the results come back as they anticipate.
• MTV reports that the Maury Show is talking to Bieber about the possibility of revealing the results on the show.
• *UPDATE* Yeater’s lawyers drop the paternity suit and remove themselves from the case, but her new lawyer intends to pursue the suit in hopes of a settlement.

For more information our paternity testing page to learn more about how DNA paternity testing works for private individuals.

Scientists are examining the DNA of centenarians, looking for a possible genetic link to longevity. George Eberhardt, 107 years old, is one of 100 healthy centenarians taking part in a study that ultimately hopes to identify genes that prevent age-related diseases and disorders.

This study is part of the Archon Genomics X Prize competition, funded by the same company who sponsored a spaceflight competition—$10 million in prize money is at stake for researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people older than 100.

The race to decipher the human genome dates back to 1990, when the Human Genome Project was born. A few male and female DNA samples were selected for sequencing as “representatives” of the human race, and the first draft of the human genome was completed in June 2000.

All people share 99.9% of their DNA, and the 0.1% is what makes us all unique. The race continues to identify specific portions of the human genetic code—composed of 3,164.7 million chemical nucleotide bases (A, C, T and G)—that gives some people, such as centenarians, a genetic advantage compared to others.

While Eberhardt professes that his secret to longevity is 70 years of marriage to his wife Marie, a study done at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that as a group, centenarians vary widely in their everyday habits—many were smokers, and few exercised or followed a vegetarian diet. This suggests that there may be protective features in centenarians’ DNA that overcomes the less-than ideal lifestyles of many centenarians.

For more information on the science of DNA, visit our DNA science page.