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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Statistical basis for positive identification in forensic anthropology.

Forensic scientists are often expected to present the likelihood of DNA identifications in US courts based on comparative population data, yet forensic anthropologists tend not to quantify the strength of an osteological identification. Because forensic anthropologists are trained first and foremost as physical anthropologists, they emphasize estimation problems at the expense of evidentiary problems, but this approach must be reexamined. In this paper, the statistical bases for presenting osteological and dental evidence are outlined, using a forensic case as a motivating example. A brief overview of Bayesian statistics is provided, and methods to calculate likelihood ratios for five aspects of the biological profile are demonstrated. This paper emphasizes the definition of appropriate reference samples and of the "population at large," and points out the conceptual differences between them. Several databases are introduced for both reference information and to characterize the "population at large," and new data are compiled to calculate the frequency of specific characters, such as age or fractures, within the "population at large." Despite small individual likelihood ratios for age, sex, and stature in the case example, the power of this approach is that, assuming each likelihood ratio is independent, the product rule can be applied. In this particular example, it is over three million times more likely to obtain the observed osteological and dental data if the identification is correct than if the identification is incorrect. This likelihood ratio is a convincing statistic that can support the forensic anthropologist's opinion on personal identity in court.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMed1988

Confidence intervals for estimates based on linear regression in forensic anthropology.

Forensic anthropologists commonly use simple linear regression to estimate the value of a dependent variable, such as stature, for a single specimen where the value of the independent variable, such as humerus length, is known. Published studies providing regression equations for such use almost invariably include the standard error of estimate. Unfortunately, it is exceptional for forensic anthropologists to use the standard error to calculate correctly the confidence limits for their single predicted value. We attempt to show why this may be and provide explicit guidelines for the proper construction of confidence interval in such circumstances.

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed2000

Forensic anthropology in Latin America.

Forensic anthropology has been one of the fastest growing medico-legal disciplines both in its contribution to the practical needs of the legal system and research accomplishments. New anthropological standards were developed to apply to a specific population of a region. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a large sample of anthropological forensic cases and to review pertinent literature that deals with anthropological standards developed for the population of the continent of Central and South America. Using Uruguay as an example, there was not a single office or anthropologist assigned to analyze human skeletal remains in Uruguay. In 1991 the Laboratorio de Antropología Forense at the Morgue Judicial of Montevideo was created. A total of 189 forensic anthropological cases (276 individuals) were analyzed since this date. Twenty six percent of cases involving human remains were positively identified. The majority came from the Departamento de Montevideo, the largest population district of the country. Most of the cases fell into the 60 to 69 years old age range (35%). Females represented 32% of the total. Since the establishment of the laboratory, the number of forensic cases increased considerably from 20 in 1991 to 40 in 1997. The case studies were accompanied with skull-photo superimposition and facial reconstruction when no other evidence for positive identification was available. This service provided by the laboratory was quickly known to coroners, law enforcement agencies, and other legal authorities and thus utilized not only in Uruguay but also in several other countries in the continent. Because of the obvious need for an anthropologist, there are now university programs to provide forensic anthropological education. Yet, research has lagged behind considerably. Deficiencies are obvious in basic osteological standards of estimating age, calculating stature, determining sex and assessing race that can be applied to populations of the continent. Regional standards are also needed to estimate postmortem interval, to identify culture specific causes of trauma and other forensic phenomena. Some of these can be remedied if there is a database where the available literature is stored and osteometric information is shared.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Legal and ethical considerations of forensic anthropological research.

In the UK, Forensic Anthropology is maturing rapidly, consequently demanding discussion of previously overlooked yet fundamental principles of this discipline. UK law and ethics are interpreted from a forensic anthropological standpoint. First, the influence of UK law and ethics on the stages of forensic anthropological research (the collection, analysis and storage of human remains) are discussed. Existing ethical codes of conduct are investigated for their relevance to researching forensic anthropologists. It is concluded that: when appropriately interpreted, UK law and ethics are extremely influential on forensic anthropological research; debate within this area is required; and that an understanding of the law and ethical thought is vital for the successful growth of forensic anthropology in the UK.

Ethics, Professional↗
PubMed1992

Forensic anthropology in the 1990s.

Forensic anthropology has undergone considerable change over the past 10 years. Today it is utilized by most law enforcement, coroner, and medical examiner systems. The techniques for determination of age at death, sex, race, and stature from skeletal remains have been modified and greatly expanded. The role of the forensic anthropologist within a medicolegal context is much broader than in previous years. In addition to establishing individual identity, forensic anthropologists are now consulted for trauma analysis, facial reconstruction, photographic superimposition, determination of time interval since death, and crime-scene recovery. Not all physical anthropologists are forensic anthropologists. Qualified individuals are certified, through rigorous examination, by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. A list of board-certified forensic anthropologists may be obtained through the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed1998

Progress in forensic anthropology: the 20th century.

Anthropological contribution to forensic sciences has been multifaceted and the progress has been remarkable in the last quarter of this century. The field has brought together scientists from all around the world. The purpose of this paper is to present a special issue on forensic anthropological research. Some of the papers cover age estimation from the ankle and knee epiphyses (India), basioccipital synchondrosis (also India), sternal end rib metamorphosis in Turks, and histomorphometry of the Japanese. Sex determination from the South African cranium and Mongoloid humerus are the subject of two papers. Factors of individualization include a comparison of photographic images using neural network, bone trabecular radiography, determination of handedness from the humerus, time since death using 210Po to 210Pb ratio, and changes in the mineral content of bone after burial. From the papers in this special issue it can be concluded that there will be integration of many areas of forensic sciences to deal with anthropological issues in the 21st century. Estimation of time since death will be based on new and more precise techniques. Further research is needed to develop population specific osteological standards for populations of Africa, central and southeast Asia and Pacific region. In addition, there will be an increased interest in the study of living people.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2026

An exploratory analysis of decision-making in population affinity estimation among forensic anthropology practitioners in the United States.

Population affinity estimation in forensic anthropology often involves the integration of multiple pieces of information, including visual (nonmetric) and metric data. This study examines how practitioners interpret and synthesize visual and metric information and their decision-making processes. A Qualtrics survey was developed using two cases: Case 1 presented clear nonmetric signal but ambiguous metric signal, while Case 2 showed more ambiguous nonmetric signal but clear metric signal. Practitioners were asked to estimate population affinity based on visual assessment, Fordisc data, and provide a final, integrated assessment. A total of 22 valid survey responses were received, with the majority of survey respondents reporting more than 10 years of forensic anthropology experience and holding a PhD degree. Results showed that there is substantial variability in Fordisc use and interpretation. Across both cases, participants synthesized conflicting visual and metric information, converged toward the stronger signal, and came to more consistent final estimates relative to the more ambiguous input. These findings highlight variability in practitioner decision-making but suggest that integration of nonmetric and metric information in population affinity estimation can moderate decision-making uncertainty. The results have implications for forensic anthropology education, training, and proficiency testing.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Becoming respectable: T. Dale Stewart and the acceptance of forensic anthropology in the academic community.

Before World War II, forensic anthropology was of peripheral interest to a few anthropologists willing to assist in investigations by law enforcement agencies. A strong bias that "police work" was unbecoming to the scholarly pursuits of academics persisted into the post-war years. Changes took place as a consequence of T. Dale Stewart's case work in the identification of human remains with the FBI from 1943 to 1969, his directorship of the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution) beginning in 1962, and his work with the Armed Forces after 1948. This paper discusses the historic period of transition of attitudes and practices in the contexts of Stewart's contributions and the cases and teaching programs of one of his contemporaries. Theodore D. McCown at the University of California at Berkeley, during the period of 1939 to 1969. The establishment of the Physical Anthropology Section within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 1972 and the creation of the T. Dale Stewart award for distinguished service in forensic anthropology advanced those laboratory research programs and medical-legal investigations conducted by present-day forensic anthropologists.

Forensic Anthropology↗
PubMed2005

An evaluation of sex and body weight determination from the proximal femur using DXA technology and its potential for forensic anthropology.

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a rarely used technology in forensic anthropology. These densitometers quantify bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) and thus introduce new variables which are important for the application of forensic anthropology. This study investigates the importance of these variables and of this technology using bone scans of the proximal femur in sex and body weight determination. Two data sets from studies conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham were examined. The first study had 41 White patients, of which there were 17 males and 24 females, ranging in age from 61 to 79 years and in weight from 99 to 242 lb. The following variables were utilized from the DXA scans: BMD in the femoral neck, greater trochanter and in Ward's triangle. A manual ruler in the software facilitated measurements on the minimum neck diameter and shaft diameter just below the lesser trochanter from each scan. The second study had 128 female patients, 71 of which were Black and 57 were White. They ranged in age from 23 to 47 1/2 years and they weighed between 31 1/2 and 98 1/4 kg. The same variables were examined on these DXA scans as in the first study, with the addition of BMC of the femoral neck and the deletion of the minimum shaft diameter below the lesser trochanter. The first study showed statistically significant sex determination relationships (p < 0.02, t-tests for equality of means) at the supero-inferior femoral neck and lesser trochanter diameters, and from BMD at the femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle. Discriminant function analysis correctly classified sex over 92% of the original grouped cases using these variables. Multiple regression analysis using body weight as the dependent variable and various measures of the proximal femur as independent variables shows that while they are statistically significant and they have reasonably high R2 values up to 0.49; nevertheless, their standard errors of the estimates are too wide to be of much forensic use. The second study examined ethnic differences, Blacks and Whites, and body weight relationships in a larger, all female data set. Statistically significant differences between Blacks and Whites of BMD were found at Ward's triangle. Multiple regression analyses were again run on body weight and various measures of the proximal femur. The results were also broken down by ethnicity. Some body weight relationships were again statistically significant such as between the BMC of the femoral neck and the BMD of the greater trochanter and the BMC of the neck and the minimum neck diameter, but again, the standard error of the estimate is too wide to be of much use. In addition, the square of the correlation coefficient (R2) is very low, for example, below 0.1 in all cases. Thus, there is very little variability in weight that can be accounted for with these variables. DXA technology offers the potential of a living skeletal data bank and of variables that are useful in cause-effect relationships between bone mineralization and skeletal loads.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1994

Forensic anthropology in Turkey.

Research in skeletal biology has a long history in Turkey, but the shift towards the study of contemporary people has recently been stimulated by the need for appropriate techniques for forensic application. There is an increasing need for data to determine if population-specific standards for age and stature estimation and sex determination are necessary and if so, to develop them. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of forensic anthropology in Turkey. As has been the case elsewhere, forensic anthropology has its roots in physical anthropology. In Turkey, distinguished pioneers in physical anthropology, such as Sevket A. Kansu and Muzaffer S. Senyürek, focused on the skeletal biology of the historic and prehistoric inhabitants of Anatolia. Today, research programs are under way in the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul and the Department of Physical Anthropology in Ankara to include the collection of data on modern Turks. A number of projects dealing with various aspects of forensic anthropology are already in progress, e.g., development of age and sex determination standards for the Turkish population. In addition, several graduate students have also chosen research topics in this field.

Forensic Anthropology↗
PubMed1992

Forensic anthropology and the concept of race: if races don't exist, why are forensic anthropologists so good at identifying them?

Most anthropologists have abandoned the concept of race as a research tool and as a valid representation of human biological diversity. Yet, race identification continues to be one of the central foci of forensic anthropological casework and research. It is maintained in this paper that the successful assignment of race to a skeletal specimen is not a vindication of the race concept, but rather a prediction that an individual, while alive was assigned to a particular socially constructed 'racial' category. A specimen may display features that point to African ancestry. In this country that person is likely to have been labeled Black regardless of whether or not such a race actually exists in nature.

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed2006

Forensic anthropology: developments of a classical discipline in the new millennium.

The present brief review is a survey of the role of forensic anthropology (FA) in the new millennium. After an introduction which deals with the expanding definition of the discipline and the issue of professionality and training, the author approaches the role and novel developments of the field, with particular reference to the past 5 years. Such developments are discussed in a sectorial manner, distinguishing the role of research in the areas of forensic anthropology which deal with human remains and those that deal with the living. As regards the "human remains" domain, advances and stalls still present in the fields of species and postmortem interval determination, sexing, aging and attribution of ancestry are stressed. The need for standards in facial reconstruction and positive identification by bone morphology are underlined, as well as the growing role of the anthropologist in detecting signs of trauma. Finally, the relatively new role of the forensic anthropologist in the domain of identification of the living is described, although this area is still underrepresented as regards research activity: these studies concern the strive to devise methods for identifying faces (e.g. in the case of crimes registered by videosurveillance systems), aging living individuals or juveniles represented in pedopornographic material.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMed2004

Recent advances in the study of burned bone and their implications for forensic anthropology.

Human identification from burned remains is a common requirement of forensic anthropology, yet the techniques used are devised for use on unmodified bone dimensions. Bone experiences extensive and significant heat-induced alteration which decreases the accuracy and precision of identification methods. An holistic approach to the study of burned bone is adopted and demonstrates the interconnectivity and hierarchy of these changes. It is demonstrated that these changes affect all forms of anthropological technique.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed2001

Contributions of Ellis R. Kerley to forensic anthropology.

Ellis R. Kerley (1924 to 1998) represents an important figure in the history of American forensic anthropology. In research, he is best known for pioneering the microscopic approach to the estimation of age at death from human bone. A university professor for 22 years. Kerley also served as Scientific Director of the Army identification laboratory in Hawaii and worked on many forensic cases. He was a leader in the formation of the Physical Anthropology section of the AAFS and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and held many offices within the AAFS, including President from 1990 to 1991.

Forensic Anthropology↗
PubMed2000

The forensic anthropology legacy of T. Dale Stewart (1901-1997).

T. Dale Stewart (1901-1997) began his Smithsonian career as a temporary aide to Ales Hrdlicka (1869-1943) in 1924. At the time of his death in 1997, he was regarded world-wide as an authority who led the professional development of American forensic anthropology. He was a prodigious researcher, best known for his meticulous attention to detail, balanced scientific judgment, keen sense of research design, and ability for synthesis. Stewart's publications, extensive casework for the FBI and others, his court testimony, publications, professional contacts, and organizational activity merit him a prominent place in the history of American forensic anthropology.

Forensic Anthropology↗
PubMed1999

A thousand tales of dead men: the forensic anthropology cases of William R. Maples, Ph.D.

This paper examines the nearly 1000 forensic anthropology case reports authored by the late William R. Maples during his 28 year career at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The types of case files reviewed include C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory reports; 999, US ARMY-CILHI reviews; 226, and historical or prominent persons. Although Dr. Maples performed private casework, these files were not available for examination. A demographic profile for the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory sample is presented.

Florida↗