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This article reflects on the extensive use of irregular burials in public cemeteries as a method of disappearance/elimination of bodies during the last civic-military dictatorship in Argentina. Drawing on a historical-anthropological perspective, it investigates a paradigmatic case: the discovery of one of the largest mass graves in Latin America, located in the San Vicente Cemetery in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. The underlying assumption guiding the analysis is that irregular burial involved the intervention of bureaucratic-administrative instances linked to the regular handling of corpses—hospitals, morgues, and public cemeteries—resulting in the existence of documentary traces that currently account for its use and extent. The article begins with the description of a letter written in 1980 by morgue workers and a newspaper article about the first identification in Córdoba, serving as temporal markers of a lengthy search process. The geographical and historical reconstruction of San Vicente and its burial practices configure it as a territory of marginalities and impurities, as a receiver of bodies of the sick, the poor, and also “subversive delinquents.” Analyzed as cultural artifacts, the morgue’s entry books and the 1980 letter reveal different aspects of the irregular burial practice and how the bodies of the murdered were incorporated into the routines of state agencies. Such records were crucial in the forensic anthropological work of searching for and locating the large mass grave. The article is framed among studies focusing on the “legal” and “administrative” forms of state repression and terror. It seeks to highlight the importance of preliminary investigation and interdisciplinarity in the application of forensic anthropology, not only in the analyzed geographical area but also in clarifying the multiple violences that permeate the region.

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We already have forty years of experience in Latin America in the application of anthropology and forensic archaeology to the search for missing persons and investigations of gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Despite this long trajectory of very important work, the most striking protagonists of meta-analysis in the forensic work literature and its impact in recent years have not been the forensic scientists themselves, but social scientists. This article introduces the dossier “Forensic Practices and Mass Violence: Contemporary Perspectives and Research Challenges,” a work that brings together practitioners —including relatives of the missing— with academic researchers, breaking down a structural, social and artificial divide. The joining of forces between academics and practitioners better reflects the work as a whole that includes and highlights the goals concerning search, recovery, analysis, and identification, but also those concerning restitution. This introduction emphasizes debates that are absent in many forensic science journals: the impact of politics on research and the political product of research, although we still have debates about questions of objectivity, neutrality, and the value of a family-driven or family-involved approach. In this dossier, we examine the adaptation and evolution of the discipline from its particular Latin American form, both in the different expressions it has taken in the region and in the way it has been expressed in the work of Latin American professionals in foreign cases such as that of the former Yugoslavia.

This article reflects on the organization, possibilities, and practical requirements for the development of interdisciplinary work under the new contexts of intervention of forensic anthropology. As an applied anthropology, reflection on the social contexts in which forensic anthropology is practiced is of particular importance. The reciprocal influences of science and society, which cross the forms and practical uses of anthropology, acquire multiple dimensions and considerations in the case of forensic anthropology and its fields of activity. These influences have a clear projection and social impact in judicial processes, in the clarification of criminal investigations or contributing to the defense of human rights in contexts of conflict and political violence. An analysis and review of the scientific practices and techniques of forensic anthropology is presented in relation to all these considerations. It is argued that the obvious applied function of this discipline should not lead to mistaking the social commitment to provide reliable data and evidence in its contribution to legal work with ideological positions or specific political interests, which may bias or compromise the rigor of its scientific work. Such considerations on epistemological and ethical issues in the practice of forensic anthropology are particularly relevant when studying and intervening in contexts of political violence and civil conflicts, which are surrounded by strong ideological and political debates. The review of the role of the forensic anthropologist in these contexts highlights the need for an attitude of epistemological vigilance and reflexivity with respect to his or her practices (and the contexts of these). Positions of neutrality and objectivity must therefore be guaranteed in anthropological work, and these must be based on an attitude of vigilance, self-criticism, and reflection, of particular importance in relation to socially sensitive issues and with problematic extensions in the field of ideas and politics.

Since the end of the twentieth century, the work of forensic professionals in contexts of war has become a topic of particular interest, among other reasons, because of its importance in the clarification of serious human rights violations. The purpose of this article is to characterize the experience of frustration and emotional management strategies used by forensic anthropologists working in the context of the Colombian armed conflict. Using semi-structured interviews with ten forensic anthropologists working in the search for victims of enforced disappearance in Colombia, along with autobiographical analysis, the authors identify the strategies through which forensic professionals manage frustration in a context of armed conflict and political violence. All interviews were held in Bogota in 2019. The forensic anthropologists interviewed were found to be confronted with potential sources of frustration such as complex political scenarios, difficulties of the geographical context to carry out the search processes, long-lasting situations of impunity, and high expectations of the victims’ families to find their loved ones’ remains. The article thus describes the ways in which forensic anthropologists emotionally manage these difficulties in order to maintain their motivation and efforts to continue their work. The authors employ a novel perspective to explore the emotional management of the impacts of work in contexts of political violence and war, revealing the importance of research that allows us to recognize the subject involved before the pain of others.

The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established in 1993. Intended to shed light on the events that occurred during the Yugoslav conflict (1992-1995) and to prosecute and convict those accused of crimes against human rights and international humanitarian law, it’s mandate lasted until 2017. This paper was prompted precisely by this end. It takes stock of the contributions of archaeology and forensic anthropology to the Tribunal’s investigations and argues that the work of these professionals provided evidence of the systematic attack in which civilians were killed as part of a state policy of extermination against ethnic and religious groups in the region. The authors also point out the importance of the involvement of Latin American professionals in this research, as well as how much this experience enriched research processes in Latin America itself. This work is based on a systematic bibliographic search, which includes, among other documents, archives that were reserved at the time, but are now open to the public. It also draws on information obtained from the authors’ participation in the forensic operations conducted between 1999 and 2001, both in the field and in the morgue.

Forensic anthropology is now considered an instrument that supports the justice system and humanitarian forensic action. It contributes with its specialized knowledge to the different stages and procedures of the judicial investigation, and to humanitarian work. One of its specific contributions is laboratory analysis, where the forensic anthropologist, through his scientific knowledge (e.g., human osteology) supports identification and the determination of the manner and cause of death. However, in Colombia, the work of the forensic anthropologist falls within the framework of the medical-legal autopsy and is even immersed in it, so that its scope and objectives tend to be invisible in the field of inquest into deaths. This article reflects on the relationship between forensic anthropology and forensic-medical-legal autopsy. It begins with an assessment of the current context of the search for and identification of missing persons, then determines how forensic-medical-legal autopsy and anthropological work are linked in the legal context and, finally, presents a discussion on the relationship between theory and practice in forensic anthropological analysis. This article therefore presents the challenges facing the discipline, such as the consolidation of its theoretical-scientific foundation and the updating of standards and/or procedures in which necropsy and forensic anthropology merge. The purpose of the above is to highlight its scope and objectives, the role of the anthropologist in the analysis phase and the importance of his or her findings in a legal context. The article invites other researchers to delve deeper into the issues discussed in this reflection and contributes to the discussion on strengthening the scientific basis of the discipline and its relationship with academia.

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Arqueologia is the property of Revista de Arqueologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Knowing an individual's age is necessary for several situations, both in the living and the deceased. The London Atlas uses dental development and eruption to estimate age. Testing the method in different populations is necessary to assess its performance. This study aimed to assess the performance of the London Atlas method in a Russian sample using panoramic radiographs. A sample of 703 panoramic radiographs of Russian individuals (n = 405 females, 57.61% and n = 298 males, 42.39%) with ages between 8 and 23 years were analyzed. The results showed overestimation in individuals from 8 to 14 years and underestimation from 15 to 23 years. The mean difference between estimated and chronological ages did not exceed 0.7 years among individuals with ages below 19 years. The difference increased to over three years in individuals from 20 to 23 years. Statistically significant differences were found between females and males between 17 and 18 years (p

Copyright of Regae: Revista de Gestão e Avaliação Educacional is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI), particularly the late time since death, is a crucial issue when dealing with human remains. Its establishment is an important task for forensic scientists since it has important legal implications such as identifying a victim or prosecuting an offender. However, dating death is a very complex and challenging task due to the amount of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, that may influence the rate and nature of body decomposition. Many methods have been used to estimate PMI, from classical decomposition methods to entomological and botanical methods or more recently physics and biochemical methods. This paper reviews current forensic dating methods, focusing especially on forensic anthropological techniques. Nevertheless, the existing literature is insufficient, denoting a lack of effective methods to achieve an accurate and reliable PMI estimation and further investigation is required. A holistic approach, where every element must be considered, is the key to achieving a reliable estimation of PMI. Interdisciplinarity is thus mandatory, allied with the capacity of forensic anthropologists to denote all the details.

There is a high prevalence of rib fractures in human remains from archeological contexts, but these are seldom the focus in paleopathological studies pertaining skeletal trauma. This study aims to document rib fracture patterns in the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra. Specific aims of this study included the estimation of rib fracture prevalence in 252 individuals, from both sexes (females: 128; males: 124), with age-at-death varying from 20 to 96 years; and the analysis of the relationship between rib fractures and age-at-death, biological sex, and bone mineral density measured at the proximal femur. The crude prevalence of rib fractures is 6.3% (16 cases in a total of 252 individuals observed); while the true prevalence rate is 0.7% (38 fractured ribs in relation to 5656 ribs studied). Males have been more affected than females (males: 10.5%, 13/124; females: 2.3%, 3/128). Individuals with one or more rib fractures were significantly older (mean=66.19 years old; standard deviation [SD]=14.08) than those who have not experienced any rib fracture (mean=50.41 years old; SD=19.45). Bone mineral density was also associated with the presence of rib fractures but only in females. These results expand the scientific awareness about the prevalence of rib fractures in human skeletal collections.

Objective: To determine whether anterior and posterior tooth crown traits exhibit sexual dimorphism and identify traits characteristic to the Mongoloid race, especially among the Indonesian population. Material and Methods: This study cross-sectional study analyzed 108 dental casts from 36 males and 72 females. The traits analyzed included winging, shoveling, double shoveling, canine mesial ridge, canine distal accessory ridge, hypocone, metaconule, Carabelli’s cusp, protostylid, metaconulid, enteconulid, and hypoconulid. All tooth crown traits were scored based on the ASUDAS scoring system. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies. The Chi-square tests was used to determine significant differences in anterior and posterior tooth crown traits between males and females. Level of significance was set at 5%. Results: None of the traits showed sexual dimorphism. Moreover, the most common traits among the Mongoloid race were hypocone (94.4%) and shoveling (86.1%). Conclusion: Although none of the traits exhibited sexual dimorphism, most of them had a higher incidence among females than males. Nonetheless, further research including adequate samples and a similar number of females and males, is needed, especially for population studies.

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this article is to present to the scientific and academic community the Unidentified Skeletal Collection of the Capuchos Cemetery. The skeletons, of contemporary individuals, were collected from the same cemetery as those of the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection, but their identification is unknown. The collection is composed of 73 individuals, of which 68 are adults of both sexes (34 females, 33 males, and one individual of unknown sex) and five are non-adults. The skeletons are reasonably preserved although several are incomplete as result of taphonomic changes during inhumations, but also due to the experimental research made so far. Most of the adult individuals present nonmetric characters, being the scapular notch the most frequent. Regarding the osteopathology, it was observed that the majority of adult individuals have pathological changes, with degenerative pathology being the most frequent. In addition, some individual exhibit medical devices and/or signs of chirurgical procedures. The Unidentified Skeletal Collection of the Capuchos Cemetery is an osteological collection that, although not containing individual biographical data, has contributed to teaching and research in Biological and Forensic Anthropology in subjects such as osteology, morphology, biological profile, paleopathology, cremains, and the development of new methods.

Human identification involves comparing data from a body, ranging from structural integrity to advanced degrees of destruction, such as skeletonization, carbonization, or fragmentation. Data available in remains found trigger a search for ante-mortem information on missing persons. This work aims to demonstrate the importance of dental records in the human identification process, considering the richness of information within them and the uniqueness of human dental arches. The lifetime archiving of dental records has its legal basis in Brazil’s Consumer Protection Code. However, we seek to demonstrate how a well-designed, organized, and filed medical record may play a key role in identifying or not an individual. The well-performed filing and forensic activity work in the identification process is a service for the living population; that is, for the family of the deceased individual who, if not identified, will be part of the missing persons statistics. Documents comprising dental records are fundamental for effective human identification, besides having ethical and legal value.

The aim of this study was to apply the morphometric quantification of the canine index for sexual dimorphism in a Brazilian sample. The sample consisted of 90 participants (45 males and 45 females) aged between 18 and 35 years. With the aid of a digital caliper, the intraoral mesio-distal measurement of the permanent mandibular right canine (MD43) and the intercanine distance (IC) were taken by three examiners. The measurements were used in a formula established by Rao, Rao, Pai e Kotian (1989) to estimate sex based on morphometric features of the human canines. The applicability of this approach for sexual dimorphism was assessed based on the inherent mandibular canine index (MCI) calculated by the formula. The MCI was higher in males than females. The mean general accuracy rate of the MCI for sexual dimorphism in the total sample was 52.22%. In males, the MCI was able to properly distinguish sex in 82.22% of the sample, while in females the accuracy decreased to 22.22%. These outcomes raise the attention for the careful use of the MCI in practice – especially in the field of Forensic Anthropology. In particular, the accuracy of the method was close to random in a sample that contained both sexes. Thus, MCI should not be used as the only tool for sexual dimorphism.

This paper analyzes how three Colombian forensic anthropologists manage labor frustration and what motivates them to carry on working despite the high probability of not succeeding. This analysis inquiries about the role of the commitment with the victim’s families in relation to the motivation needed to maintain the efforts in searching, exhuming, identifying and returning the body remains of forced disappearance victims in the context of politic violence and war in Colombia. Considering the cases that have not been successful, this article examines the emotional management that forensic anthropologists build with the victim’s families, and the intersubjective relationship between them. It’s shown that in not successful cases, the forensic anthropologists experiences have involved attending to the family’s expectations, facing the institutional terms and conditions and the security problems in ground, and creating strategies to manage the frustration of not achieving their goals.

In a national context where the history of the armed conflict (1960-1996) and the violence resulted in 200 000 victims of massacre and forced displacement, most of them Indigenous) have been historically ignored, exhumations have become a key element for the victim recognition in Guatemala. The uncovering of the bones constitutes evidence of the violence, while their transformations (exhumation, identification and re-inhumation) affects the social and geographical landscape. Less attention has been paid to those cases where no remains appear. Such cases allow us to analyse how silenced violence lingers in the daily lives of survivors, rooted in the land as it is a marker of the social inequalities affecting both the living and the dead.

Forensic anthropology is a branch of forensic sciences that deals with research and aims to determine the identity of an individual by means of the origin of remains, general patterns of identification and individualizing characteristics. Currently, as Brazil has a significant percentage of homicides, serious accidents and natural disasters, it is necessary to use more precise anthropometric techniques to search for victim identification. Therefore, this study proposes to measure human hip bones using bone anthropometry technique, more specifically pelvimetry in order to determine standard measures for this bone for people of the south region of Minas Gerais. The measures obtained were as follows: VDA data was 49.74 ± 3.49 for right hip bone (RHB) and 51.06 for left hip bone (LHB). GSND data was 33.18 ± 3.08 for RHB and 32.96 ± 3.35 for LHB. Regarding CGSN measure, the values were 81.23 ± 6.74 for RHB and 82.87 ± 6.77 for LHB. DASIS results were 114.1 ± 6.62 for RHB and 112.4 ± 5.90 for LHB. OFD measures were 45.95 ± 4.21 for RHB and 47 ± 3.98 for LHB while OFL data were 31.34 ± 3.56 for RHB 30.42 ± 2.82 for LHB. the results above, one could conclude that there were significant differences in the measure of the hip bone when compared with data published for other ethnic groups. It is suggested that such differences may be related to the multiple genetic miscegenation that occurred in this region of Brazil during 500 years or more after colonization.

Introduction: Nowadays there is a huge demand for individual identification in both civil and criminal justice fields. There are several ways to identify individuals, depending on whether he is alive or dead (cadaver or skeleton). This research aimed to create a database for facial soft tissue thickness in living individuals of a specific Brazilian population, according to age, sex and body mass index. Methods: Measurements of facial soft tissues thickness were done in 101 patients (62 men and 39 women, aged 18 to 106 years). CT scans were performed taking into account 20 craniometric points previously selected. The soft tissue thickness in these points were initially found and compared with age, sex and nutritional status, and with another populations data worldwide. Results: According about sex was no significant difierence in points: nasion, rhinion, midphiltrum, supradentale and lateral orbit. Distances with significant difference for both sexes between the diferent populations were: supradentale; infradentale; supramentale; lateral orbit; zygomatic arch and occlusal line. Some anthropometric points showed significant differences between sex, age groups and nutritional status. Between sexes, men had greater means. Among age groups, there was also significant differences in some distances. In relation to nutritional status, the distances were lower among normal weight and higher among the obese. Conclusion: When considering various populations, soft tissue thickness had significant differences in many craniometric points highlighting how distinct they might be.

Copyright of Revista Arqueologia Pública is the property of Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Portal de Periodicos Eletronicos Cientificos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Forensic anthropology is the practical application of anthropology to law, especially in questions related to medicolegal identity and forensic medicine. In forensics, methods involving physical anthropology present high rate of accuracy for human identification and gender estimation. This study aimed to ascertain sexual dimorphism using different craniofacial variables among Igbo and Yoruba young adults. Some craniofacial variables were measured in 300 undergraduates from University of Lagos using physical anthropometry. The mean values of all the craniofacial features studied were higher in males compared to females. Igbo students had significantly (p=0.05) higher mean height, weight, morphological facial height (MFH), morphological facial breadth (MFB), intercanthal difference (ID), nose length (LN), left eye width (LEW), exocanthii to exocanthii (EX-EX) and subnasale to gnathion (SN-GN) values compared to Yoruba students. The mean prosopic index of the Igbo male (94.5%), Igbo females (94.6%) and Yoruba females (93.92%) showed Leptoprosopic facial shape while the Yoruba males (97.52%) were hyperleptoprosopic. The mean nasal index of Igbo females (Leptorrhine) was significantly (p=0.05) low compared to Igbo males and the Yoruba males and females i.e. Mesorrhine. Pearson correlation shows that age, height, weight and sex correlated with MFH, MFB, ID, LN, nose width (WN), Chelion to chelion distance (CH-CH), EX-EX, SN-GN at 0.01 and 0.05 levels of significance at distinct points. Sex was significant with height, weight, MFH, MFB, ID, CH-CH, LEW, EX-EX, SN-GN at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). This study shows that height, weight, MFH, MFB, ID, CH-CH, LEW, EX-EX and SN-GN can be used to predict sex.

Forensic anthropologists and pathologists have solved various mysteries like identifying victims and documenting crimes. They have identified the remains of decomposed, partially skeletonised and burned victims. For identifications, the parameters like sex, stature, age and ancestry are the foremost essential components. Present cross-sectional study was carried out on 206 Ladakhi subjects (129 males and 77 females) aged between 14 to 19 years by random sampling method. Classifications were done on basis of standards given by Martin & Saller, (1957) and Vallois, (1965). The hand parameters showed significant sexual dimorphism in adolescent boys and girls at (p

A Medicina Legal tem grande importância no processo de identificação humana, principalmente quando os especialistas da área recebem para análise apenas a porção cefálica do corpo. O objetivo deste estudo é verificar o dimorfismo sexual e a predição da idade através de mensurações em ossos occipitais de crânios secos de adultos. Os autores estudaram uma amostra de 149 crânios secos, sendo 90 masculinos e 59 femininos, que pertenceram a indivíduos com idade acima de 20 anos, e com sexo e idade conhecidos com total segurança. Foram realizadas as seguintes mensurações: distância entre os forames condilares (ifc); distância entre o forame condilar direito e o básio (fcd-b); distância entre o forame condilar esquerdo e o básio (fce-b), além de uma área triangular formada por estas medidas lineares (atz). Todas as variáveis passaram por uma análise de variância a fim de se testar a existência de efeito do sexo, além de que sua normalidade residual foi avaliada pelos coeficientes de assimetria, de curtose e pelo teste de Shapiro-Wilk. De acordo com a análise estatística, houve índice de acerto de 69,6% por regressão logística. Foram também verificadas estatísticas básicas como a média e intervalo de confiança através do teste t e também utilizado o método da regressão linear múltipla para a predição da idade, constatando que o modelo apresentou resultados significantes em duas variáveis. (p=0,0105). Os resultados permitiram a elaboração de metodologia estatística para o diagnóstico do sexo e idade em observações futuras.

Dentre as áreas de competência de atuação do perito odonto-legal está a identificação humana. A estimativa de idade é uma das pesquisas mais utilizadas para identificação dos indivíduos, podendo ser realizada tanto em vivos, quanto em mortos. Os elementos dentários são considerados excelentes meios a fim de se estimar idade, uma vez que possuem maior resistência a alterações químicas, físicas, além de enfatizar a peculiaridade de cada indivíduo ao apresentar características morfológicas exclusivas. O objetivo desse trabalho é verificar a aplicabilidade da metodologia de estimativa da idade proposta por Nicodemo, Moraes e Médici (1974) com base na mineralização dos dentes, na população do sul da Bahia. Foram analisadas 40 radiografias panorâmicas de acordo com o método proposto, sendo 20 do sexo masculino e 20 do sexo feminino, de idades variando de 72 e 119 meses, sendo posteriormente realizada uma análise comparativa referente aos parâmetros de sexo e faixa etária e à análise comparativa da diferença relativa entre as estimativas produzidas em diferentes etapas do estudo. As amostras obtiveram um alto índice de correlação, com acerto em 80% da amostra masculina e 70% da amostra feminina, sendo um método de efetividade comprovada na população estudada, não havendo diferenças significativas entre as análises realizadas em períodos distintos pelo examinador. Observa-se, portanto, ser uma metodologia acessível, uma vez que pode ser aplicada por cirurgiões-dentistas sem experiência prévia do método, de baixo custo, sugerindo, porém, a inclusão de outras características populacionais e uma maior amplificação etária para verificação dos limites de relevância do estudo.

Biological profiling of unknown human remains is the foremost task required in forensic/medico-legal death investigations and sex determination of such remains is an important element of biological identity of an individual. In present study, 12 anthropometric measurements were recorded on 298 Uttarkashi individuals (150 males and 148 females) between age group of 18-25 years. Majority of measurements were found to have a significant degree of sexual dimorphism among them; being highest for cubit and thumb lengths and lowest for left palm and right foot lengths (p >0.001). From Univariate discriminant function analysis, cubit length and left foot length were selected as the best variables to discriminate sex of about 80% (84% males and 76% females) 79% (84.7% males and 73.6% females) individuals, respectively. Similarly, 86% subjects could be classified to their correct sex category from all the lineal measurements (88.5% males and 87.2% females) or the hand measurements only (83.1% males and 84.6% females) from the multivariate discriminant function analysis. The results of present study can be considered an addendum to the existing population data for forensic anthropological literature.

A Antropologia Forense é o ramo pericial no qual há a aplicação dos conhecimentos da antropologia física ao contexto médico legal. Quando o material a ser periciado envolve corpos carbonizados (CC), o conhecimento antropológico forense será essencial nesta análise. Perícias realizadas em CC apresentam grandes dificuldades técnicas, pois a destruição de partes do corpo pode prejudicar a análise antropológica, bem como a identificação do material periciado. Neste trabalho são apresentados dois casos de vítimas de colisões automobilísticas envolvendo os principais aspectos técnicos da autopsia de CC, com ênfase na integração entre os conhecimentos médico legais e datiloscópicos. Nos casos relatados a análise antropológica conseguiu determinar os sexos e estimar as idades ósseas. Em um deles a causa médica da morte permaneceu indeterminada e no outro foi estabelecida como politraumatismo contuso. As mãos direitas apresentavam os dedos fletidos, o que preservou parcialmente as respectivas polpas digitais da ação térmica. As técnicas utilizadas no preparo das luvas epidérmicas manuais permitiram a obtenção de adequadas impressões digitais reveladas, que ao serem comparadas com impressões padrão identificaram ambos os corpos. Os dois casos destacam a importância do trabalho integrado entre diversas áreas de conhecimento para a análise forense de CC e sua identificação.

Concha bullosa (CB) and nasal septum deviation (NSD) can be a congenital trait or be linked to respiratory pathologies. Symptoms include snoring, sleep apnea, and other respiratory disorders that can be easily recognized by relatives and partners. CB and NSD are easy to identify and can be very applicable in the human identification process during routine forensic anthropological investigations. A physical-anthropological analysis was carried out by observing the presence of NSD and CB in 57 skulls from a Brazilian skull collection. Of the 57 skulls, 14 (24.6%) showed septal deviation, 19.3% to the right side and 5.3% to the left side. Regarding CB, this trait was observed in 16 skulls (34.8%) unilaterally and bilaterally in 9 skulls (19.6%). Our results are compatible with the literature and we suggest that CB influences contralateral NSD. The frequency and clinical aspects of these traits may be considered in a forensic investigation.

Abstract Introduction Human identification is considered one of the major steps concerning missing people. The Forensic Anthropology Sector of Legal Medical Institutes identifies corpses. Forensic dentistry and DNA tests stand out among the existing standard tests. Objective This article aimed to evaluate human identification effectiveness through forensic dental examination performed in the forensic anthropology sector in a Forensic Medical Institute, comparing them with DNA analyses. Methodology This is a cross-sectional study using secondary data available in the department´s database, from 2008 to 2014, concerning identification procedures using forensic dentistry and DNA techniques. Result The analysis of the examinations eligible to this study (241) showed that DNA analysis was the method used for identification in 79.3% of the cases and forensic dental examinations were used in 20.7% of the cases. As for the type of biological material used during these examinations, unidentified corpses corresponded to 131 cases (53.9%), skeleton structures corresponded to 109 cases (44.9%) and there were 3 cases of body segments (1.2%). When analyzing the time spent to complete the tests, dental examinations were faster than DNA tests. The time spent for forensic dental examination does not depend on the type of dental documentation evaluated. Conclusion The analysis of the results in this study showed that human identification through forensic dentistry is effective, rapid and less costly, contributing to greater agility in solving issues related to locating missing people.

A identificação humana figura entre os inúmeros procedimentos assegurados legalmente ao Cirurgião-dentista. Odontolegista é o profissional que possui, além de competência legal, técnica especializada para desempenhar atividades periciais mediante as necessidades da justiça. É no processo de identificação humana que o Odontolegista busca características dentais distintivas que permitam associar dados ante-mortem (AM), provenientes de uma pessoa desaparecida, a dados post-mortem (PM), coletados durante o exame cadavérico. Estas características podem ser de ordem morfológica, terapêutica ou patológica e podem ser extraídas do prontuário odontológico. O presente estudo objetiva relatar um caso pericial de identificação humana sustentada pela comparação de características dentais terapêuticas e patológicas documentadas em prontuário odontológico. Uma ossada humana não identificada foi encontrada em região de mata no estado de Goiás. Durante o exame cadavérico, observou-se a presença de fraturas cranianas e orifícios compatíveis com projéteis de arma de fogo. Ao exame antropológico, a ossada revelou-se adulta, masculina e de estatura entre 1752 e 1803mm. O exame odontolegal apontou a presença de restaurações em resina e amálgama, perdas dentais e lesão periapical em região anterior de maxila. Por meio de busca policial, familiares da suposta vítima foram encontrados e apresentaram uma ficha clínica odontológica para comparação com os achados cadavéricos. Ambos os achados, AM e PM, coincidiram quanto aos caracteres neles contidos, resultando em identificação humana positiva. Os Cirurgiões-dentistas devem atentar para a importância do correto preenchimento, arquivamento e atualização do prontuário odontológico, uma vez que o mesmo pode respaldar necessidades da justiça, especialmente em casos de identificação humana.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4025/actascihealthsci.v36i1.20243 The frontal sinuses play a highly relevant role in comparative human identification processes. Since forensic radiology is a branch in the forensic sciences, adequate radiological analysis of the frontal sinuses is essential for comparative human identifications. The current study investigates radiographic morphological changes in the frontal sinuses according to vertical angle distortions in posteroanterior (PA) radiographs. A standard PA radiograph of the skull of an adult was obtained. Eight addition PA radiographs were taken at different vertical angles. Frontal sinuses were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively according to Ribeiro´s (2000) technique. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed significant image distortions. Further, overlapping anatomical structures were reported when PA radiographs were analyzed in negative angulation distortions (from -10° to -40°). Positive and negative angular distortions up to 20º slightly affected the qualitative morphological analysis. However, 10° positive and negative distortions provided a significant interference in quantitative analysis and impaired the measuring process. Most forensic techniques for the analysis of frontal sinuses comprise measurements of morphological distances. Distortions of approximately 10° or over in vertical angulation of cranial PA radiographs should be avoided so that more accurate comparative human identifications could be achieved.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4025/actascihealthsci.v36i1.19099 The search for identity is based on a set of characteristics, which defines the uniqueness of a person. Principles such as classificability, immutability, persistence, practicability and uniqueness must be considered when applying an identification technique. This study aimed to evaluate the use of palatal rugoscopy in dentulous and edentulous volunteers, with or without upper removable denture, for purposes of human identification. In this study 60 subjects were asked to give dental casts and photography of the upper dental arch, defined in the following groups: Group A (n = 30, edentulous patients with full upper removable dentures) and Group B (n = 30, dentulous without upper removable partial denture). The rugoscopy analysis method used was Martins-dos-Santos classification, for checking the applicability and success in human identification. It was found that it is possible to use this technique and it has an application of 40% in the group A and 86.66% in the group B. In conclusion, the identification method by palatal rugoscopy is satisfactory for dentulous patients, however in cases of tooth loss and friction cases generated by prosthetic devices, the region of the palate lose its characteristics, but even then it is still possible to be applied.

Through an experience report, this article addresses the contribution of Dentistry at the Department of Legal Medicine in Vitória/ES, to raise the importance of the discipline of forensic dentistry in the course material and content. The purpose of this article is to report and share experiences about activities in the Extension Project "Forensic Dentistry in the DML". Through the participation of graduate students as trainees in Forensic Anthropology sector, it shows the vital role of the dentist: in supporting human identification, in confronting data of preexisting bones and facilitates understanding. Thus, interaction with other professionals and sectors allows a multidisciplinary experience and increases knowledge about the structure and operation of The Department of Legal Medicine, encouraging students to participate in an area underexplored in Dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nolla’s radiographic method of dental age estimation for sub-adult individuals has been commonly used for forensic purposes. To identify the accuracy and credibility of this method, a review has been conducted for estimating the variations/discrepancies between actual chronological and estimated ages of sub-adults individuals calculated by applying Nolla’s radiographic method in different population groups. The articles using Nolla’s method of age estimation and those published between 2006 and 2016 were used after relevant searches in PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, COCHRANE and Web of Science databases. Studies conducted with dental radiographs of healthy subjects between 3 and 18 years of age and those reporting mean differences between the estimated dental age (DA) and chronological age (CA) as a measure of variation were included in the review for meta-analysis. A total of 5813 subjects (2839 boys and 2974 girls) between the age of 3 and 18 years were examined in the study, which were chosen from a total of 87 peer-reviewed articles. Quantitative (10 studies) and qualitative (12 studies) analyses of the results revealed that dental age of most sub-adults was found under-estimated using this method based developmental stages of teeth. The underestimation varied from +0.26 to +1 years for males, and +0.051 to +1.15 for females; with an average mean of 0.35 years and 0.20 years for males and females, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that Nolla’s method of dental age estimation underestimates the age of an individual in almost all the studies reviewed here. It should be carefully applied for forensic cases requiring legal scrutiny by courts of law.

Existe uma corrente de pensamento em antropologia forense de que métodos antropométricos têm menos subjetividade e menores erros intra e interobservadores, quando comparados com métodos de tomada de decisões1,2. Contudo, a antropometria também pode apresentar falhas de execução, sendo trabalhosa e requererendo tempo extra na coleta dos dados. Além disso, em amostras heterogêneas ou pouco homogêneas, como nos casos de intensa miscigenação, pode fornecer resultados igualmente heterogêneos3,4. Neste estudo foi proposta a avaliação de eficiência e eficácia do método antropométrico do triângulo do processo mastoide (porion, asterion e mastoidale) para estimativa de sexo, como descrito nos trabalhos de Paiva & Segre5 e Kemkes & Göbel6. Foram selecionados 74 crânios de ossadas sob a guarda do CEMEL/FMRP-USP. Destes, 28 foram excluídos por impossibilidade de execução do método antropométrico. Os 46 crânios restantes foram analisados por três vezes pela antropometria e os resultados comparados entre si, assim como ao método do Protocolo LAF/CEMEL baseado em tomada de decisão. Os resultados demonstraram que, além do alto número de exclusões por impossibilidade de execução e da necessidade de refinamento técnico para evitar erros intraobservador, as áreas obtidas contrastaram com os valores encontrados por Paiva & Segre5 em 60,9% dos casos. Conclui-se que, com o passar do tempo e refinamento técnico, o método antropométrico torna-se mais eficiente no que diz respeito à diminuição de erros do observador. Por outro lado, mostra-se ineficaz em estimar o sexo dos crânios analisados em amostra heterogênea (de população miscigenada), indicando o método de tomada de decisão como mais adequado.

Desastres de massa são realidades que sucedem com lamentável frequência. Nestas situações, um dos problemas forenses fundamentais é o da identificação das vítimas. Todos os elementos susceptíveis de puderem contribuir para tal identificação são essenciais e, entre eles, as próteses ortopédicas, que frequentemente permanecem intactas. Estas são basicamente constituídas de polímeros, cerâmicas ou metais. O componente metálico normalmente composto por titânio, cromo, cobalto ou liga de aço resiste após violentos traumatismos ou altas temperaturas. A identificação humana é possível se estabelecer a identidade do implante e este puder ser associado à pessoa na qual foi colocado. O logotipo da prótese reconhece o fabricante e o número de série pode ser confrontado com o processo clínico ou com o registro de próteses como já vem sendo adotado em diversos países. A informação da base de dados deve ter o nome do doente, o modelo do implante e o seu número de série para ser consultado apenas nos casos de identificação forense, respeitando obviamente questões éticas de privacidade. Este artigo realça a importância da criação do registo nacional de próteses.Mass catastrophes are realities that come to pass with lamentable frequency. In such situations, one of the fundamental forensic problems is in relation to identifying the victims. All the elements that might be capable of contributing towards this identification process are essential, and among these are orthopedic prostheses, which frequently remain intact. These prostheses consist basically of polymers, ceramics or metals. Metal components, which are usually composed of titanium, chromium, cobalt or steel alloys, are resistant to violent trauma or high temperatures. Human identification is possible if the identity of the implant is established and if this can be correlated with the individual in whom it was implanted. The logo on the prosthesis establishes who the manufacturer was and the serial number can be compared with the clinical process or with a prosthesis register, as has been implemented in several countries. The information in the database should include the patient's name, the implant model and its serial number, for consultation only in cases of forensic identification, while obviously respecting ethical issues of privacy. This article highlights the importance of creating a national prosthesis register.

Archaeological excavation of human remains can provide information on decomposition. From these data it is possible to establish the original lay out of the remains, to distinguish between taphonomic processes and intentional human intervention, and to reveal the presence of decomposed organic materials. From observations made in an archaeological context, the author describes the decomposition of a funerary bundle in a sitting/squatting position and explains how bones can be naturally displaced during the process.