When looking for human DNA at a crime scene it is curious to know that it can be found in the hair of cats.
Those who are passionate about detective stories or thrillers or TV series know very well that researching human DNA is a turning point for an investigation. DNA can be found in hair, dander, saliva and even in cats. The fur of felines captures traces of human DNA and preserves them, they will be useful for identification.
There are now many sophisticated techniques of DNA analysis. One of them is ” touch dna “: they are genetic traces that we leave when we touch a surface or if we lose hair or related to dead skin. DNA is everywhere and even in the house cat. The hair of 20 cats belonging to 15 families was analysed. Then came the comparison with samples of genetic material taken from humans. The authors of the study identified traces of DNA in 80% of the cats examined. In 70% of cases they found enough material to have a genetic profile of the person who came into contact with the feline.
Many of these cases are explained by the profiles of the owners of the cats, while in some cases they were of unknown origin. Still others about cats living with newborns whose DNA had not been taken for analysis. Some cases, on the other hand, were a mystery , the origin of the DNA is not known. More studies are therefore needed to understand where it comes from and why cats had it on their fur days later.
- Hunting for human DNA at the crime scene? You have to look in the hair of cats (focus.it)
