Avuncular

An avuncular test is the testing of the father’s relatives, such as an aunt or uncle, in order to determine paternity.  Avuncular tests rely on statistical probability of a person having a relationship to the child as opposed to any other person in a population of the same ethnic group.  An avuncular test is recommended in cases where the alleged father of the child is absent or unavailable for testing and is only suggested as an alternative second to the standard paternity DNA test. The laboratory will examine the genetic profiles of the relative and work out the avuncular indexes which will establish whether two individuals are biologically related or not.  The greater the index, the more likely there is a genetic relationship between the two people. When the mother’s DNA is available for testing, most laboratories will recommend that you send in her DNA samples too. More information on avuncular testing can be found by visiting Aunt-Uncle DNA testing / Avuncular Testing.

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