@article{1de279e3673443e097289af17f9b675c,
title = "Forensic genetic investigation of human skeletal remains recovered from the La Belle shipwreck",
abstract = "In 1995, the historical shipwreck of La Belle was discovered off the coast of Texas. One partial human skeleton was recovered from alongside cargo in the rear portion of the ship; a second (complete) skeleton was found atop coiled anchor rope in the bow. In late 2015, comprehensive forensic genetic testing began on multiple samplings from each set of remains. For the partial skeleton recovered from the ship's rear cargo area, results were obtained for 26/27 Y-STRs using traditional CE; with MPS technology, results were obtained for 18/24 Y-STRs, 56/56 ancestry-informative SNPs (aiSNPs), 22/22 phenotype-informative SNPs (piSNPs), 22/27 autosomal STRs, 4/7 X-STRs, and 94/94 identity-informative SNPs (iiSNPs). For the complete skeleton of the second individual, results were obtained for 7/17 Y-STRs using traditional CE; with MPS technology, results were obtained for 5/24 Y-STRs, 49/56 aiSNPs, 18/22 piSNPs, 15/27 autosomal STRs, 1/7 X-STRs, and 66/94 iiSNPs. Biogeographic ancestry for each set of skeletal remains was predicted using the ancestry feature and metapopulation tool of the Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD), Haplogroup Predictor, and the Forensic Research/Reference on Genetics knowledge base (FROG-kb). Phenotype prediction was performed using piSNP data and the HIrisplex eye color and hair color DNA phenotyping webtool. mtDNA whole genome sequencing also was performed successfully. This study highlights the sensitivity of current forensic laboratory methods in recovering DNA from historical and archaeological human remains. Using advanced sequencing technology provided by MiSeq{\texttrademark} FGx (Verogen) and Ion S5{\texttrademark} (Thermo Fisher Scientific) instrumentation, degraded skeletal remains can be characterized using a panel of diverse and highly informative markers, producing data which can be useful in both forensic and genealogical investigations.",
keywords = "FROG-kb, ForenSeq{\texttrademark}, La Belle, MPS, Precision ID mtDNA whole genome panel, Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, X-STR, Y-STR, Yfiler{\texttrademark} Plus, ancestry SNP, biogeographic ancestry, lineage, massively parallel sequencing, mtDNA, phenotype SNP, skeletal remains",
author = "Angie Ambers and Bus, {Magdalena M.} and King, {Jonathan L.} and Bradford Jones and Jeffrey Durst and Bruseth, {James E.} and Harrell Gill-King and Bruce Budowle",
note = "Funding Information: Funding for the cofferdam construction and excavation of the La Belle shipwreck was provided by the Texas legislature, the Houston Endowment, the late Dennis O'Connor (a businessman from Victoria, Texas), the Meadows Foundation, Mobil Oil Exploration, the Cullen Foundation, the Trull Foundation, the Diamond M Foundation, and many other foundations and individuals. The authors would like to thank the Texas Historical Commission, the Summerlee Foundation, the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission's Bob and Kathleen Gilmore Fund for Spanish and French Colonial Archaeology, and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for supporting the genetic testing portion of this project. We would also like to thank Eric Ray (former Curator of Exhibits and Collections at the Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College) for his collaboration and support in gaining access to specimens for testing, and Gary Smith (Summerlee Foundation President) for his support in procuring funding for the final phase of this project. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Texas legislature, the Houston Endowment, the late Dennis O'Connor, the Meadows Foundation, Mobil Oil Exploration, the Cullen Foundation, the Trull Foundation, the Diamond M Foundation, the Texas Historical Commission, the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, the Summerlee Foundation, or the Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College. Funding Information: Funding for the cofferdam construction and excavation of the La Belle shipwreck was provided by the Texas legislature , the Houston Endowment , the late Dennis O{\textquoteright}Connor (a businessman from Victoria, Texas), the Meadows Foundation , Mobil Oil Exploration , the Cullen Foundation , the Trull Foundation , the Diamond M Foundation , and many other foundations and individuals. The authors would like to thank the Texas Historical Commission, the Summerlee Foundation, the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission{\textquoteright}s Bob and Kathleen Gilmore Fund for Spanish and French Colonial Archaeology, and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for supporting the genetic testing portion of this project. We would also like to thank Eric Ray (former Curator of Exhibits and Collections at the Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College) for his collaboration and support in gaining access to specimens for testing, and Gary Smith (Summerlee Foundation President) for his support in procuring funding for the final phase of this project. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Texas legislature, the Houston Endowment, the late Dennis O{\textquoteright}Connor, the Meadows Foundation, Mobil Oil Exploration, the Cullen Foundation, the Trull Foundation, the Diamond M Foundation, the Texas Historical Commission, the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, the Summerlee Foundation, or the Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College. Appendix A Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Elsevier B.V.",
year = "2020",
month = jan,
doi = "10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.110050",
language = "English",
volume = "306",
journal = "Forensic Science International",
issn = "0379-0738",
publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",
}