Nuclear insertion sequences of mitochondrial DNA predominate in hair but not in blood of elephants.

Abstract

Hair has become a widely used source of DNA in population genetics, forensics, and conservation biology. Here were report that PCR primers that amplify a segment of the mitochondrial control region from blood DNA amplify primarily integrated nuclear copies of mitochondrial DNA from hair DNA. Thus, in some species, and under some circumstances, DNA from hair may yield unreliable results.