Question

Compare and contrast the accuracy of reconstructing a person's face (1) using memory and a website such as QuickFace.com or (2) using a genetic profile derived from studies on people with craniofacial disorders.

13. Make a list of all the forensic tests performed in this case. Which do you think is (are) the most reliable? The least?

14. Discuss the importance of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for drawing conclusions from DNA profiles.

15. Which do you think is more reliable for forensic testing, a variation in a DNA sequence, such as a SNP or STR, or a gene expression profile? Cite a reason for your answer.

16. Discuss ethical concerns that could arise from using a prisoner to arrest a relative based on shared DNA sequences.

Answer 1

Reconstructing a person's face has been an important strategy in identifying criminals or crime suspects for the forensics department. However, it is usually through memory that suspects are identified by drawing the sketch of the individual by interpretation of the facial features by the witness through memory. The accuracy rate may however vary since a person's memory may fade when it comes to critical situations such as a crime. Our brain is known to process the knowledge of facial identity thriugh semantic facial identification. It has been researched that a person remembers people of their race. The accuracy also depends on the perception of the person towards the individual whose face is to be identified. There have been cases where they identify individuals but cannot desrcibe for reconstruction purposes.

Genetic profiling for the detrrmination of facial identity is comparatively more accurate than memory facial reconstruction. By sequencing the genome of a DNA sample found in the crime scene (as for example), the genetic code can help in predicting the skin, eye and hair colors. Also, any evident disease the person is suffering from can also be useful in identifying the suspects. Apart from this, the suspect could be tract through a phylogenetic tree as well. This is more accurate in identification of the suspects.

Reference:

https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/dna-facial-prediction-could-make-protecting-your-privacy-more-difficult-94740

Memory and Perception-based Facial Image Reconstruction
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