A SNPSTR is a compound genetic marker composed of one or more SNPs and one microsatellite (STR

Short tandem repeat

A short tandem repeat in DNA occurs when a pattern of two or more nucleotides are repeated and the repeated sequences are directly adjacent to each other. The pattern can range in length from 2 to 5 base pairs and is typically in the non-coding intron region...

). SNPSTRs were first described by MOUNTAIN et al. (2002) who developed experimental protocols for autosomal SNPSTRs which contain a SNP and a microsatellite within 500 base pairs of one another. More recently a database

Snptstr (database)

SNPSTR is a database of Snpstrs . -See also:* Snpstr*Short tandem repeat*Microsatellite*Single-nucleotide polymorphism-External links:* http://www.imperial.ac.uk/theoreticalgenomics/data-software...

 that contains all SNPSTRs in five model genomes, including human, has been created.

Usage and Importance

There has been widespread and growing interest in genetic markers suitable for drawing population genetic inferences about past demographic events and to detect the effects of selection. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites (or short tandem repeats, STRs) have received great attention in the analysis of human population history, even though they have both disadvantages. It was thus suggested that the combination of these two markers could give rise to better conclusions