Forensic Anthropology

The archaeological context in mass graves, especially secondary ones (moved from the primary location), is much more complex due to the high fragmentation of the body. This complicates the process of exhumation, analysis and interpretation of the findings, and requires statistical data processing. The intensity of fragmentation of human remains differs between graves, depending on the formation processes of the grave and/or peri-mortem (at the time of death or near it) circumstances related to the individuals in it. This paper provides an overview of the methods of analyzing the taphonomic imprint of such processes on human remains, as well as the presentation of the process of degradation of the human body in the context of mass graves.

Utilizing twenty two face-to-face interviews, this paper aims at improving the understandings of disappearance in the family for Greek and Turkish Cypriots who experienced 'ambiguous losses' in 1963 and 1974 conflicts in Cyprus. The paper reveals the multifaceted feelings that interviewees from both sides have been going through over the years, which were also evident in the shifting accounts of the family members during the interviews. Although at the beginning of the interview sessions both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots blamed each other in relation to their loved ones disappearance when we sum up the interviews most of these perceptions later turned into a mutual empathy. Both Turkish and Greek Cypriots showed very little hatred towards each other. Instead they blamed the politicians and noted that there were no problems at the personal level. At this point the contributions of Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) in recovering the pain of relatives and helping to bond relations in line with reconciliation were acknowledged by both sides.

Post-atrocity survivors construct spaces of being through various levels of visibility and stages of construction. Those with inherited memories of their ancestors from mass atrocities share the ability to exert their postmemories that mediates the past memory in its affective force to restore their sociability with their relatives, neighbors, community, and nation. A central medium of postmemory typically comes in the form of commemorative ritual practices that contain a mixture of mourning and recreation of family and community. Ritual engages informal sociocultural processes outside the purview of the state. Commemoration rituals reflect ordinary people's attempts to seek moral renewal and social repair to promote social reconstruction and recovery of humanity. This essay considers feminist interventions of intimate memorial scales, enabling us to envision potential alternative historical trajectories in post-massacre commemorations, memorials, reburials, and as mnemonic locations for agonistic testimonies to emerge around a mid-century massacre in South Korea called the "Cheju April 3 Incident." We take into consideration how the postmemory of the Cheju April 3 Incident is intergenerationally transmitted and ritually re-enacted through family ancestor worship, and the reburial of remains after the exhumation of mass graves. The lessons of postmemory practices are crucial to the foundation of humanity after atrocity.

Introduction: Identification is the determination of the individuality of a person based on certain physical characteristics that exactly fix the personality. Identifying victims in cases of mass disaster, when limited human remains are present, is quite a challenging task. Usually peripheral extremities of human body are used in estimating stature. In situations where only skull is available, teeth play an important role in personal identification. The present study used Carrea's index in stature estimation using tooth dimensions. Aim: To compare the accuracy of Carrea's method in estimating height of adult human and to evaluate the difference in the accuracy of stature estimation with respect to sides of dentition, gender and different types of dental alignment. Material and Methodology: The study consisted of a total of 200 hemiarches from 100 consenting subjects of the age group 18 to 30 years. For this study, data were collected from undergraduate students and volunteers after taking their consent. Estimation of stature was done using Carrea's Index. Results: When Chi square test was used to test statistical significance in estimating stature using Carrea's index, it was found to be significant with respect to only gender, and not significant with respect to side of hemiarches and type of dentition. The ANOVA of linear regression analysis of height and its predictors (i.e., arch and chord) was tested for statistically significance, chord was found to be more significant than arch. Conclusion: It was concluded that the Carrea´s index is a reliable method for height estimation in arches with normal and crowded dentition, useful for both sexes, although in our study more accuracy in stature estimation was obtained for female subjects than male, and for both right and left side of the mandibular arch.

Prvog veljače 2016. godine Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci proslavio je svoj 50. rođendan. U pedeset godina aktivnosti Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku razvijao se i napredovao u stručnom i znanstvenom smislu, suočavajući se s brojnim profesionalnim izazovima. Djelatnosti Zavoda obuhvaćaju nastavne, stručne i znanstvene aktivnosti. Nastavnici Zavoda uključeni su u programe obavezne i izborne izobrazbe studenata Medicine, Dentalne medicine i Fakulteta zdravstvenih studija. Stručne aktivnosti Zavoda su provođenje sudsko-medicinskih obdukcija, mrtvozornička služba, sudska vještačenja, procjene težine tjelesnih ozljeda, toksikološke i molekularne analize DNK-a. Stručna djelatnost provodi se u suradnji sa sudovima, državnim odvjetništvom, policijom i Uredom za javno zdravstvo Primorsko-goranske županije. Znanstvenom aktivnošću i razvojem novih metodoloških pristupa Zavod nastoji pridonijeti unapređenju sudskomedicinske prakse u Hrvatskoj.

This is done primarily to explore the capabilities of LLM-based AI in processing data. It is not a precise or formal academic paper, but rather a demonstration.

This interdisciplinary study presents an anthropometric and genetic analysis of a dolichocephalic skull exhibiting Indo-Dravidian traits and mitochondrial haplogroup K1c1f, a subclade of U8. By combining cephalometric measurements with advanced imaging and mitochondrial DNA sequencing, the research traces biocultural ancestry to a hybrid population influenced by Ancient Ancestral South Indian (AASI), Neolithic Iranian, and Harappan gene pools. The findings contribute to understanding the morphological diversity and genetic heritage of prehistoric South-Central Asia, particularly within the Indus Valley and Hindukush regions.

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This poster explores the decomposition stages of human remains in aquatic environments from a forensic anthropological perspective. It focuses on the influence of biotic and abiotic factors such as water temperature, depth, current, flora and fauna, and seasonal changes on postmortem processes. Due to ethical considerations, the study is based on a review of existing literature rather than new observations. Understanding aquatic taphonomy is crucial for estimating postmortem interval (PMI), which has significant implications for forensic medicine, legal processes, and human rights investigations.

A pesar de enfatizar las semejanzas entre los feminicidios de Ciudad Juárez y las desapariciones y asesinatos de mujeres y niñas indígenas en Canadá (MMIWG por sus siglas en inglés), las activistas y académicas indígenas no utilizan el concepto de feminicidio para enmarcar este tipo de violencia. Las académicas usan el término de genocidio y las activistas transnacionales la enmarcan como discriminación interseccional y una violación a los derechos humanos. Ambas perspectivas se enfocan en la colonización como eje central. Palabras clave: mujeres y niñas indígenas; genocidio; femicidio/ feminicidio. 1 Este artículo se basa casi en su totalidad en trabajos académicos y documentos escritos en inglés. Todas las traducciones son de la autora.

A pesar de enfatizar las semejanzas entre los feminicidios de Ciudad Juárez y las desapariciones y asesinatos de mujeres y niñas indígenas en Canadá (MMIWG por sus siglas en inglés), las activistas y académicas indígenas no utilizan el concepto de feminicidio para enmarcar este tipo de violencia. Las académicas usan el término de genocidio y las activistas transnacionales la enmarcan como discriminación interseccional y una violación a los derechos humanos. Ambas perspectivas se enfocan en la colonización como eje central.

Entre el otoño de 1936 y la primavera de 1937 se estableció una frontera de facto entre la Euzkadi autónoma leal a la República y el territorio sometido al Nuevo Estado franquista. Éste fue uno más de los muchos frentes aparentemente estáticos que hubo a lo largo de la Guerra Civil española. El estudio arqueológico que aquí se presenta tiene por objeto la identificación y documentación de las posiciones defensivas de aquel frente que aún hoy conservan restos inmuebles en superficie, tales como las fortificaciones de campaña. En total se han inventariado y analizado 213 posiciones, tanto republicanas como franquistas, en 27 municipios de Araba, Bizkaia y Gipuzkoa.

The present study was conducted with the objective to study the prevalence of tick infestation in dogs in Guwahati, Assam. A total of 10315 numbers of dogs were screened and tick infestation was recorded in 45 numbers of dogs. The overall prevalence of tick infestation in dog was recorded 0.43%. Age-wise prevalence was highest in 1 to 3 years (0.69%) age group. Male dogs were highly infested (0.63%). Among breeds the highest prevalence was recorded in the Non-Descript dogs (0.80%). Monsoon (0.65%) was found to be the most favourable season for higher prevalence of tick infestation in dogs. The most common clinical sign associated with tick infestation is pruritus which is present in 100% of the cases. As per the distribution of ticks on different body regions of dogs, ear (73.30%) was found to be the most common site for attachment of ticks.

Evaluating third molars from 950 Hispanic individuals aged 12-22 years using Demirjian's schematic for crown and root formation found that Hispanic third molar development was 8-18 months faster than American Caucasians as reported by Mincer, Harris and Berryman in 1993. This represents a statistically significant increase. Earlier development was more apparent in the later stages F through H. Hispanic males reach developmental stages faster than Hispanic females and maxillary third molars reach developmental stages faster than mandibular third molars in both sexes. The earliest age observed for stages B-H (e.g., Stage H first observed at age 13.92 years in females) and the oldest age observed for Stages B-G were developed to facilitate age prediction of unknown individuals. Prediction tables for minimum and maximum age for an observed stage (e.g., if a female maxillary third molar is stage F it means she is older than 13 years) for each sex-jaw group were calculated.

This study aims to analyse and compare the cranial morphological variations in three individuals, each exhibiting different severity levels of malformations. Materials: Three nearly complete and well-preserved skeletons of infants from the São Domingos children's necropolis in Lisbon, Portugal, dating from the 17th to early 19th centuries. Methods: Macroscopic and metric assessments were performed aimed at creating a detailed description of the skeletons. Results: The three infants exhibit an absence of the upper cranial vault, accompanied by several cranial bone alterations such as abnormal development and morphology of the occipital, sphenoid, temporal, and frontal bones. Additionally, two of the infants present maxillary and dental anomalies. Conclusions: The three infants from the São Domingos necropolis provide crucial insights into the presence of anencephaly in an historical population, representing an exceptionally rare archaeological find. The distinct cranial abnormalities strongly support the diagnosis and highlight varying severity levels of the condition. Significance: These examples enhance the recognition of anencephaly in archaeological contexts and deepen the understanding of its varied bone expressions. Examining skeletal variations within the same condition also complements the broader palaeopathological discussion of rare diseases. Limitations: The lack of soft tissue preservation reduces a comprehensive assessment of anencephaly in skeletal remains. The archaeological context presents challenges such as fragmentation. Additionally, determining postnatal survival is difficult due to the subtle or absent skeletal indicators that might suggest survival beyond birth. Suggestions for further research: Biomolecular genetics analysis could be a valuable approach for future research.

In this study, ossification stages of distal femoral epiphysis and proximal tibial epiphysis were retrospectively evaluated with a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner according to the newly developed five-stage Vieth method. A total of 367 male and 231 female patients aged 12-30 years were scanned between January 2012 and July 2019. A 1.5-T MRI scanner was used to obtain a T1-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequence and a fat-suppressed proton density-weighted TSE image. The kappa statistics were good level of agreement for inter-and intra-observer evaluations of the ossification stages for knee. Comparison of male and female data revealed significant between-sex differences in the ages when the stages 3, 4 and 5 ossifications of the distal femoral epiphysis and the stages 4 and 5 ossifications of the proximal tibial epiphysis were first detected. In the proximal tibial epiphysis, stage 6 was observed at age 18 years for males and at age 17 years for females. In the distal femoral epiphysis, stage 6 was initially observed at age 20 years for both sexes. Thus, stage 6 ossification, which is determined through 1.5-T MRI of the knee joint, allows for the determination of the completion of the 18th year of life in either sex.

The evaluation of the ossification of the medial clavicular epiphysis being part of an assigned expert approach according to standard plays an important role within civil and criminal proceedings in assessing whether a person has reached her/his 19th or 22nd year of age. Evaluation of the medial clavicular epiphysis with thinsection CT is one of the methods recommended by the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics of the German Association of Forensic Medicine. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the thin-section CT (section thickness of 0.6 and 1 mm) images of 254 patients (146 male, 108 female) with an age range of 13-28 years according to the Kellinghaus substage system. The mean values of female patients were observed to be about 10 months lower for stage 2a than the mean values of the male patients, about 13 months lower for stage 2b, and about 18 months lower for stage 2c. The earliest appearance for stage 3c was at 19 years in both sexes. Our data from this study were consistent with both our previous studies and the data of other studies. We think that stage 3c is important in determining whether a person has reached the age of 18 or not and, therefore, that the Kellinghaus substage system is a requirement in the assessment of forensic age.

Craniofacial anthropometry is critical in making a precise and organized measurement of human skull. The aim of this study is to document the mean cephalic width and length, nasal height, width and index of adult Sudanese from Khartoum State and to provide comprehensive data to be used by anthropologists and medical practitioners. A total of one hundred and ten (110) adults comprising 34 males and 76 females with mean age 40.88±16.39 and 38.89±12.36 years respectively were used for this study. All the subjects were drawn from Sudanese ethnic group in Khartoum State. The results showed that the Sudanese males and females had mean skull width of 126.38±7.99mm and 123.22±8.58 mm, mean nasal height of 43.29±3.4 mm and 40.75±3.68 mm, mean nasal width of 42.83±4.17 mm and 39.34±3.62 mm and mean nasal indices of 99.12±0.1 and 97.65±0.1 respectively. The t-test analysis indicates a sexual dimorphism, with significantly higher values of all the parameters in males compared to the females (p&...

No forensic anthropological standards exist for the identification of transsexual individuals from skeletal material. In fact, current standards produce inaccurate biological profiles for transsexuals. The reason being that current standard for ascription of sex from skeletal remains relies on pelvic morphology. Positive identification of unidentified individuals relies on the accuracy of the biological profile, which includes sex, provided by the forensic anthropologist. In the case of male-to-female (MTF) transsexuals, ascription of sex based on pelvic morphology will result in an inaccurate assessment of sex. This study, therefore, attempts to determine whether or not there exists evidence in the skeleton of facial feminization surgeries (FFS) that are almost solely utilized to aid in the feminine appearance of MTF transsexuals. Survey research established that a large portion of the MTF transsexual community, approximately 64% of MTF individuals surveyed, either already had bone-modifying FFS or planned to in the future. Large and small oscillating saw blades as well as dome-shaped dental burrs were used on fleshed pig skulls to recreate the marks left during two popular FFS procedures, the mandibular angle shave/taper and the forehead contour. Analysis revealed that the marks made on wet bone are distinct enough to catalyze remodeling, which, when seen on unidentified remains, can indicate having undergone FFS. Each of the surgical tools was also utilized on a dried pig skull; comparative analysis of the tool marks made on wet bone and dry bone demonstrated that there would be discernable differences between surgical marks made antemortem and postmortem. Finally, surveys distributed to forensic anthropologists revealed that laboratories across the US and outside of the US have already had to consider transgenderism in ix certain forensic cases and that knowledge of the tool marks created during FFS can aid in the consideration that an unidentified skeleton may have belonged to a MTF transsexual.

No forensic anthropological standards exist for the identification of transsexual individuals from skeletal material. In fact, current standards produce inaccurate biological profiles for transsexuals. The reason being that current standard for ascription of sex from skeletal remains relies on pelvic morphology. Positive identification of unidentified individuals relies on the accuracy of the biological profile, which includes sex, provided by the forensic anthropologist. In the case of male-to-female (MTF) transsexuals, ascription of sex based on pelvic morphology will result in an inaccurate assessment of sex. This study, therefore, attempts to determine whether or not there exists evidence in the skeleton of facial feminization surgeries (FFS) that are almost solely utilized to aid in the feminine appearance of MTF transsexuals. Survey research established that a large portion of the MTF transsexual community, approximately 64% of MTF individuals surveyed, either already had bone-modifying FFS or planned to in the future. Large and small oscillating saw blades as well as dome-shaped dental burrs were used on fleshed pig skulls to recreate the marks left during two popular FFS procedures, the mandibular angle shave/taper and the forehead contour. Analysis revealed that the marks made on wet bone are distinct enough to catalyze remodeling, which, when seen on unidentified remains, can indicate having undergone FFS. Each of the surgical tools was also utilized on a dried pig skull; comparative analysis of the tool marks made on wet bone and dry bone demonstrated that there would be discernable differences between surgical marks made antemortem and postmortem. Finally, surveys distributed to forensic anthropologists revealed that laboratories across the US and outside of the US have already had to consider transgenderism in ix certain forensic cases and that knowledge of the tool marks created during FFS can aid in the consideration that an unidentified skeleton may have belonged to a MTF transsexual.

In forensic anthropology, the age-at-death of an adult individual is one of the most complex parameters of the biological profile to estimate. The present study aims to evaluate the reliability of the Calce (2012) method for the estimation of age-at-death through acetabulum changes in a sample of Portuguese origin. This method consists of the global analysis of acetabular age-related morphology with focus on three specific traits, namely the acetabular groove, the osteophyte development of the acetabular rim, and the apex growth. This method was tested in 120 individuals sampled from the Twenty-first Century Identified Skeletal Collection (University of Coimbra, Portugal). The test sample is composed of 60 males and 60 females, aged between 25 and 99 years, with well-preserved os coxae. The results showed that only 60% of the individuals were correctly attributed to the age group defined by the technique. The comparison with previous studies in other populations shows significant in...

Age at death estimation in adult skeletons is hampered, among others, by the unremarkable correlation of bone estimators with chronological age, implementation of inappropriate statistical techniques, observer error, and skeletal incompleteness or destruction. Therefore, it is beneficial to consider alternative methods to assess age at death in adult skeletons. The decrease in bone mineral density with age was explored to generate a method to assess age at death in human remains. A connectionist computational approach, artificial neural networks, was employed to model femur densitometry data gathered in 100 female individuals from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection. Bone mineral density declines consistently with age and the method performs appropriately, with mean absolute differences between known and predicted age ranging from 9.19 to 13.49 years. The proposed method—DXAGE—was implemented online to streamline age estimation. This preliminary study highlights the value of ...

ObjectivesA new tool for skeletal sex estimation based on measurements of the human os coxae is presented using skeletons from a metapopulation of identified adult individuals from twelve independent population samples. For reliable sex estimation, a posterior probability greater than 0.95 was considered to be the classification threshold: below this value, estimates are considered indeterminate. By providing free software, we aim to develop an even more disseminated method for sex estimation.Materials and MethodsTen metric variables collected from 2,040 ossa coxa of adult subjects of known sex were recorded between 1986 and 2002 (reference sample). To test both the validity and reliability, a target sample consisting of two series of adult ossa coxa of known sex (n = 623) was used. The DSP2 software (Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste v2) is based on Linear Discriminant Analysis, and the posterior probabilities are calculated using an R script.ResultsFor the reference sample, any combi...

Sex estimation is extremely important in the analysis of human remains as many of the subsequent biological parameters are sex specific (e.g., age at death, stature, and ancestry). When dealing with incomplete or fragmented remains, metric analysis of the tarsal bones of the feet has proven valuable. In this study, the utility of 18 width, length, and height tarsal measurements were assessed for sex-related variation in a Portuguese sample. A total of 300 males and females from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection were used to develop sex prediction models based on statistical and machine learning algorithm such as discriminant function analysis, logistic regression, classification trees, and artificial neural networks. All models were evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation and an independent test sample composed of 60 males and females from the Identified Skeletal Collection of the 21st Century. Results showed that tarsal bone sex-related variation can be easily captured with a high degree of repeatability. A simple tree-based multivariate algorithm involving measurements from the calcaneus, talus, first and third cuneiforms, and cuboid resulted in 88.3 % correct sex estimation both on training and independent test sets. Traditional statistical classifiers such as the discriminant function analysis were outperformed by machine learning techniques. Results obtained show that machine learning algorithm are an important tool the forensic practitioners should consider when developing new standards for sex estimation.

Los Centros Clandestinos de Detención y Tortura fueron importantes  dispositivos del nuevo orden totalitario conocido como dictadura cívico-militar uruguaya (1973-1985). A partir de un proyecto de extensión universitaria crítica, en colaboración estrecha con representantes de la sociedad civil, se ha podido investigar por primera vez uno de estos lugares en el interior del país, constatando, además, que fue gestionado por la Policía. Se ha contrastado la materialidad documentada arqueológicamente con los testimonios de víctimas directas y vecinos, para realizar una interpretación general del sitio. De este modo se aportan nuevas narrativas históricas que sustentan este Sitio de Memoria. Además, los informes técnicos generados se han incluido en el expediente judicial que investiga los delitos de lesa humanidad allí cometidos.

tents, beds in community relief centres, and friends' spare rooms. Most of the victims were local residents, but a few foreign nationals also lost their lives. Many towns and small communities north-east of Melbourne were damaged or almost completely destroyed, including Kinglake (population of approximately 1,500), Marysville (population of approximately 500), Strathewen (population around 200),

Este es un artículo en Acceso Abierto distribuido según los términos de la Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0 Introducción: El movimiento corporal, obedece y produce actividad del músculo esquelético para lo cual debe existir un equilibrio muscular estático, a partir del cual se genere el desplazamiento de los elementos anatómicos, involucrados en él, ya sea como respuesta a la volición o a la percepción inconsciente al estímulo que lo demande. Objetivo: Asociar el comportamiento morfológico del hioides con ciertas variables morfológicas del viscerocráneo de esqueletos (excepto la mandíbula). Material y Métodos: Se realizó estudio osteológico en una muestra ósea de 82 esqueletos mediante mediciones morfométricas del hueso hioides y huesos del viscerocráneo. Se utilizaron matrices de coeficiente de correlación lineal de Pearson en SPSS 22 para evaluar la relación de la morfología del hioides con respecto a la morfología de los huesos de la cara. Variables morfológicas del viscerocráneo como ancho bicigomático (abc), ancho transversal externo del paladar óseo (pote), ancho sagital externo del paladar óseo (pose) y la altura del tercio medio de la cara (tmed). Resultados: Se obtuvo una gran correlación positiva y significativa de distintas variables morfológicas del hioides, -tanto de su cuerpo como de sus astas o cuernos mayorescon las variables morfológicas del viscerocráneo. Conclusiones: Se corrobora la asociación de la morfología del hueso hioides con el crecimiento de los huesos del viscerocráneo.

Con la entrada en vigencia de la zonificación militar en octubre de 1975, el territorio del sur de la provincia de Santa Fe pasó a incorporarse al esquema represivo nacional bajo la jurisdicción de la denominada Área 211. Diversas investigaciones han señalado la coexistencia de dos circuitos represivos claramente definidos en la región, cada uno operado por los grupos de tareas del Ejército y la Policía Provincial respectivamente. Ambos se caracterizaron por modalidades de operación diferenciadas en lo que respecta al tipo de centros clandestinos de detención empleados, períodos de actuación y selección de blancos. En este trabajo buscamos profundizar en el papel jugado por ambas fuerzas represivas en el sur de Santa Fe, intentando dilucidar si dichas modalidades de operación, también tuvieron su correlato en el empleo de estrategias de disposición final de los cuerpos diferenciadas.

This research paper investigates how the application of forensic entomology is used to estimate post-mortem intervals (PMI) in rural India, an area with significant geographic and climatic diversity that influences decompositional processes. The study's primary objective was to determine how environmental factors affect the colonization patterns and developmental stages of carrion-associated insects and thereby refine the accuracy of PMI estimations in forensic contexts. Employing Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, this study systematically collected and analyzed data on insect species distribution, their development stages, and the corresponding environmental conditions of various rural locales across India. Key findings indicate that temperature and humidity significantly affect insect activity, which in turn impacts PMI estimates. Additionally, the study found that larvae stages were predominant across cadavers, providing a reliable indicator for estimating early PMI stages. The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that integrating GIS with traditional forensic entomology offers a more robust approach to PMI estimation, enhancing both the scientific rigour and reliability of forensic investigations in rural settings. This research contributes to the forensic sciences by providing a methodological framework that can be adapted to diverse environmental conditions, potentially improving legal outcomes in criminal cases.

This research paper investigates how the application of forensic entomology is used to estimate post-mortem intervals (PMI) in rural India, an area with significant geographic and climatic diversity that influences decompositional processes. The study's primary objective was to determine how environmental factors affect the colonization patterns and developmental stages of carrion-associated insects and thereby refine the accuracy of PMI estimations in forensic contexts. Employing Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, this study systematically collected and analyzed data on insect species distribution, their development stages, and the corresponding environmental conditions of various rural locales across India. Key findings indicate that temperature and humidity significantly affect insect activity, which in turn impacts PMI estimates. Additionally, the study found that larvae stages were predominant across cadavers, providing a reliable indicator for estimating early PMI stages. The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that integrating GIS with traditional forensic entomology offers a more robust approach to PMI estimation, enhancing both the scientific rigour and reliability of forensic investigations in rural settings. This research contributes to the forensic sciences by providing a methodological framework that can be adapted to diverse environmental conditions, potentially improving legal outcomes in criminal cases.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a common disease of the elderly, with a complex etiology. The known risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm is age, male gender, presence of family history of AAA, presence of aneurysms elsewhere (especially at the femoral and popliteal artery), smoking, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and hypertension. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors associated with operated abdominal aortic aneurysm in our center. Patients and Method: Our study population consisted of 210 patients who had been performed abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery between January 1998 and January 2010 in our clinic. The study was designed in a retrospective manner and all data were collected from hospital records. The patients were searched for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, age, gender, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis and smoking. Results: 187 of 210 patients male and 23 of 210 patients female. The mean age was 64,4±8,9. The most common risk factors were di...

Objective: To find out an association, if any, between dermatoglyphic patterns of hands in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy of both sexes. Introduction: Genetic etiology has been proposed for both idiopathic epilepsy and dermatoglyphics. Hence, the present study has been undertaken to find out the existence of any correlation between dermatoglyphics and Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy. The study was conducted in the

DNA technology has taken an irreplaceable position in the field of the forensic sciences. Since 1985, when Peter Gill and Alex Jeffreys first applied DNA technology to forensic problems, to the present, more than 50,000 cases worldwide have been solved through the use of DNA based technology. Although the development of DNA typing in forensic science has been extremely rapid, today we are witnessing a new era of DNA technology including automation and miniaturization. In forensic science, DNA analysis has become "the new form of scientific evidence" and has come under public scrutiny and the demand to show competence. More and more courts admit the DNA based evidence. We believe that in the near future this technology will be generally accepted in the legal system. There are two main applications of DNA analysis in forensic medicine: criminal investigation and paternity testing. In this article we present background information on DNA, human genetics, and the application of DNA analysis to legal problems, as well as the commonly applied respective mathematics.

Aim: To develop a methodology for the estimation of the preservation of human skeletal remains – the relics in the Vodnjan assembly; to estimate the minimum number of individuals (MNI), sex, and age; to evaluate the physical state of their remains, and to individualize the remains to verify the list of saints allegedly buried at the monastery. Methods: Standard crime scene investigation and forensic anthropology methods were used, including trace evidence marking, photography, minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimation, sex, age, stature estimation, pathological and traumatic changes examination, individuation, and individualization by the comparison to the biography. Results: The total sample of the bones in the Vodnjan relic collection was very poorly preserved. The MNI in the sarcophagus was twenty-two. Of those, three were female, twelve were male, and seven were subadults. Conclusion: The forensic approach to the documentation and analysis of relics was appropriate for this...

DNA tech nol ogy has taken an ir re place able po si tion in the field of the fo ren sic sci ences. Since 1985, when Pe ter Gill and Alex Jeffreys first ap plied DNA tech nol ogy to fo ren sic prob lems, to the pres ent, more than 50,000 cases world wide have been solved through the use of DNA based tech nol ogy. Al though the de vel op ment of DNA typ ing in fo ren sic sci ence has been ex tremely rapid, to day we are wit ness ing a new era of DNA tech nol ogy in clud ing au to ma tion and min ia tur iza tion. In fo ren sic sci ence, DNA anal y sis has be come “the new form of sci en tific ev i dence” and has come un der pub lic scru tiny and the de mand to show com pe tence. More and more courts ad mit the DNA based ev i dence. We be lieve that in the near fu ture this tech nol ogy will be gen er ally ac cepted in the le gal sys tem. There are two main ap pli ca tions of DNA anal y sis in fo ren sic med i cine: crim i nal in ves ti ga tion and pa ter nity test ing. In this ar ti c...

DNA technology has taken an irreplaceable position in the field of the forensic sciences. Since 1985, when Peter Gill and Alex Jeffreys first applied DNA technology to forensic problems, to the present, more than 50,000 cases worldwide have been solved through the use of DNA based technology. Although the development of DNA typing in forensic science has been extremely rapid, today we are witnessing a new era of DNA technology including automation and miniaturization. In forensic science, DNA analysis has become "the new form of scientific evidence" and has come under public scrutiny and the demand to show competence. More and more courts admit the DNA based evidence. We believe that in the near future this technology will be generally accepted in the legal system. There are two main applications of DNA analysis in forensic medicine: criminal investigation and paternity testing. In this article we present background information on DNA, human genetics, and the application o...

A rapid analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences with an array of immobilized sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes was tested on 18 skeletal elements recovered from mass graves in Croatia, which could not be genotyped with common forensic nuclear DNA systems (PM+DQA1 and short tandem repeat analysis). We used duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the mtDNA hypervariable regions I and II (HVI and HVII) (444 bp and 415 bp amplicons, respectively) and subsequent linear array typing, which targets six polymorphic regions and two additional sites within the human mtDNA HVI and HVII. The remaining amplified products were subjected to direct sequence analysis to obtain complete sequence information for the targeted HV regions. Duplex PCR amplification of the mtDNA HVI and HVII was successful in providing sufficient product for typing with the array of SSO probes in 14 out of the 18 sample extracts. We report here the sequence match of one set of remains w...

In this paper, the importance of the tooth in identification an unknown person has been demonstrated. The theoretical part shows the difference between genomic and mitochondrial DNA. That difference is the durability and properties which they carry and the value they have in identification. Microanatomy has also been described, possible locations of cells in the tooth and methods to collect material for DNA extraction. The practical part shows the methods used in particular cases for DNA isolation. Horizontal section through the cervical root is used to collect material for DNA isolation. Genomic DNA , from the material, is extracted by organic phenol-chloroform methods. The results are shown on 1 % agarose gel and photographed by a Polaroid camera.

Since February 2001 the process of DNA identification of war victims in Croatia relies on the database of over 3,000 9-locus (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317 and D7S820) STR genotypes of relatives of missing persons. Instead of a targeted approach to DNA typing, the genotype of each skeletal remains analysed is compared to all genotypes in the database to identify potential parents and children. Although this approach has significantly increased the pace of identification by DNA typing, non-targeted matching in a database containing several thousand genotypes considerably decreases the significance of inclusion, especially when identification is based on reverse paternity analysis. To support this statistical prediction we present 3 cases of 10 STR loci matches and 1 case of 11 STR loci matches between a child, child's mother and skeletal remains that did not originate from a father of that child.