Police can sketch suspects from DNA

Scientists in the United States have found genes that regulate features on the human face, such as nose size and facial width.

Previous studies have shown that many facial features, including nose size and facial width, are influenced by genetic mutations . However, scientists have not been able to identify specific genes related to these traits.

John Shaffer, a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, and colleagues analyzed 20 facial features from 3D images of 3,118 Europeans to determine which genes regulate those characteristics. During the study, they found nearly 1 million of their genetic mutations, according to PLOS Genetics.

The researchers found that the width of the face, the size of the nose, the distance between the two eyes, or the distance between the eyes and the lips were very dependent on mutations in certain genes. Identifying these genes can provide valuable information about an individual's appearance.

It will also help the police reach a higher level of accuracy in the face-building of criminals who commit acts of robbery, rape or murder if they leave DNA at the scene.

However, the researchers found that the number of genes they detected was only a small percentage of the genes that determine the shape and size of human organs. It is possible that many of the genes that they identified cause only minor effects. Therefore, they want to map the entire genes that govern the facial features.

To achieve that goal, they need larger number of face patterns and a more holistic approach to quantifying facial features.