Population variation at the CODIS core short tandem repeat loci in Europeans

Substantial STR population data exist to estimate F_ST (or θ) values across Europeans. Eleven populations across Europe were analyzed, and the estimate over all 13 CODIS core STR loci is 0.0028. This value is much less than the conservative estimate of 0.01 advocate by the second National Research Council Report in 1996. Because of the low value for θ, whether independence is assumed or an adjustment for substructure is employed, there is little practical consequence for forensic purposes for estimating the frequency of a multiple locus DNA profile. If θ is used, a value of 0.01 is very conservative for Europeans. The same STR population data can be used for evolutionary studies on Europeans, and the calculated genetic distances are consistent with the ethnohistory of the populations.