A locus responsible for a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) has been identified by hybridization of Eco RI fragments to the random human DNA sequence in recombinant plasmid pAW101. We have examined DNA extracted from 20 human X Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids for the presence of sequences homologous to the human insert in pAW101. The hybrids were derived from six different human donors, five of whom were heterozygous, producing two bands on Southern transfers. The presence of homologous sequences in the hybrids correlated exclusively with the presence of human chromosome 14. Three hybrids contained chromosome 14 in a frequency of greater than one per cell and were positive for two alleles. Two hybrids contained only the distal half of the long arm of 14 as part of a translocation and were still positive. These results assign the first highly polymorphic random RFPL locus (D14S1) to region q21 leads to qter of chromosome 14.