Fragment analysis 

Fragment analysis is the technique we use to analyze our microsatellite loci (see Microsatellites). Loci are specific locations of a gene, DNA sequence, or position on a chromosome.  We are interested in the changes in length of a specific micro satellite locus rather than the exact sequence (the order of nucleotides A, C, T or G).

These differences in size can accumulate quickly in a population which allows us to detect patterns of paternity as well as differentiation between populations.