Abstract: Contamination of biological evidence with non-human DNA complicates forensic analysis and necessitates the use of sets of primers that show high specificity for human DNA. We report here the analysis of DNA from 15 vertebrate animals in addition to that of humans (males and females) using the PowerPlex® 16 system to assess its specificity for human euchromatin. The loci tested include, Penta E, D18S51, D21S11, TH01, D3S1358, FGA, TPOX, D8S1179, vWA, Penta D, CSF1PO, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317 and D5S818. There were no STR PCR products observed for the 15 species regardless of the STR system. Amelogenin-PCR fragments were all below 100 bp and consist of only one fragment irrespective of the sex.