Fig 2. Pipeline showing the main steps usually involved in processing forensic nonhuman DNA samples.

The exact procedure will depend on the conditions available at each laboratory. The process starts with the evaluation of the case and sample collection (green boxes). The procedure continues in the laboratory, where the DNA is extracted from the biological source material and analyzed according to an appropriate protocol (blue boxes). The genetic information is then compared with reference databases and the results are described in a written report (red boxes).