Mitochondrial DNA analysis of domestic dogs in the UK

Pet hairs are easily transferred during contact between individuals or between individuals and a crime scene and this, combined with high levels of dog ownership in the UK, means that dog hair is frequently recovered as evidence. Until recently, forensic investigators were limited to microscopic analyses in order to examine such material, a technique that provides relatively little information other than an indication of the species of origin. However, it is now possible to extract and analyse mitochondrial DNA from hairs, thus increasing their evidential value. We present data obtained from sequencing part of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of several randomly selected dog breeds commonly found in the UK and compare these results with other published databases. The evidential value of these data and opportunities for breed predictions are discussed. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.