Forensic genetics and genomics: Much more than just a human affair

While traditional forensic genetics has been oriented towards using human DNA in criminal investigation and civil court cases, it currently presents a much wider application range, including not only legal situations sensu stricto but also and, increasingly often, to preemptively avoid judicial processes. Despite some difficulties, current forensic genetics is progressively incorporating the analysis of nonhuman genetic material to a greater extent. The analysis of this material—including other animal species, plants, or microorganisms—is now broadly used, providing ancillary evidence in criminalistics in cases such as animal attacks, trafficking of species, bioterrorism and biocrimes, and identification of fraudulent food composition, among many others. Here, we explore how nonhuman forensic genetics is being revolutionized by the increasing variety of genetic markers, the establishment of faster, less error-burdened and cheaper sequencing technologies, and the emergence and improvement of models, methods, and bioinformatics facilities. MA, FP, MO, NP, AML and VG are supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), European RegionalDevelopment Fund (ERDF) and Programa Operacional Potencial Humano,through the grants IF/00955/2014, IF/01356/2012, SFRH/BPD/66071/2009, SFRH/BPD/97414/2013, IF/01262/2014 and SFRH/BPD/76207/2011, respectively. MA was also supported by the “Ramón y Cajal” grant RYC-2015-18241 from the Spanish Government. IPATIMUP integrates the i3S Research Unit, which is partially supported by FCT. The funders had no role in the preparation of the article.