Credit Weight: 0.5 Prerequisite(s): One full course equivalent in Anthropology and one full course equivalent in Biology, or permission of the instructor Description: An examination of the role of DNA analysis in the court systems of Canada and the United States. An overview of the recent history of DNA analysis and its role as evidence, and of the debate challenging the credibility of DNA evidence. The scientific basis of DNA analysis (both nuclear and mitochondrial), including variant techniques such as DNA fingerprinting and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP’s) are explained. The continuity of evidence from crime scene to court room, as well as statistical methods, are covered in detail.
