A young boy has been found, and police are trying to locate his family. They take a DNA sample from him and begin collecting DNA samples from families who have missing children. If police use DNA samples only from the fathers, which type of DNA technology can they use to identify the boy's parent?

A son inherits his Y chromosome from his father, so comparing the boy’s Y-chromosome markers with samples from fathers can help identify a match along the paternal line. Therefore, the correct choice is Y-chromosome analysis. It may not distinguish a father from closely related men who share the same Y-chromosome pattern, but it is the option specifically suited to tracing paternal inheritance.

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