Review traces forensic identification from RFLP and STR to mtDNA, Y-chromosome markers and next-generation sequencing, flagging data complexity, ethics and global standardization as key concerns

The review organizes forensic molecular identification into an evolutionary arc from conventional DNA profiling such as RFLP and STR to advanced approaches including mtDNA analysis, Y-chromosome markers and NGS. Compared with work focused on a single technique, it places multiple marker classes and sequencing platforms within one framework to compare their principles, applications, advantages and limitations. This is a narrative review; it draws on the principles and applications described in the abstract, and the visible text provides no specific sample sizes or effect sizes.

The review maps forensic molecular techniques onto distinct application contexts: crime scene investigation, human identification, kinship analysis and mass disaster victim identification. It links technical capabilities to concrete forensic tasks, helping readers understand where different markers and methods fit by scenario. Based on the application areas listed in the abstract, this is a review-level synthesis without primary data for each scenario.

The review identifies forensic genomics, epigenetics and microbiome-based approaches as recent advances, with bioinformatics and artificial intelligence playing a growing role in data interpretation. It brings emerging omics directions and computational interpretation tools into the forensic identification landscape rather than limiting the scope to classic DNA profiling. A directional statement at the abstract level; the visible text offers no specific algorithms, datasets or performance metrics.

The review stresses that data complexity, ethical considerations and the need for global standardization remain key challenges, and expects molecular techniques to keep evolving toward more precise, rapid and comprehensive identification systems. Beyond a technology-optimistic narrative, it names data, ethics and standardization as issues requiring continued attention. This is the review authors' judgment based on the state of the field; the visible text provides no quantitative evidence.

The review is aimed at readers who want a rapid overview of forensic molecular identification, including forensic practitioners, judicial stakeholders and cross-disciplinary researchers; its intended settings are forensic tasks such as crime scene investigation, human identification, kinship analysis and mass disaster victim identification. It offers an integrated view of principles, applications and limitations, useful as an entry point and for orienting further reading rather than as a hands-on experimental protocol.

Because only the abstract was read here, the specific technical parameters, cases, comparative data and references in the body are not available, so the concrete basis for judging the relative merits of each technique cannot be assessed, nor can the actual maturity of emerging omics and AI applications be verified. Readers focused on operational details or evidential strength for a given technique will still need the full text; moreover, ethics and standardization are only mentioned in general terms in the visible text, and the depth of that discussion remains to be confirmed in the full article.