no abstract.
Anthropology ; Forensic Anthropology

DNA analysis has become one of the most powerful tools in forensic inference for human identification and is now used worldwide. It is used to be statistical technique for the individual identification of a civil and criminal action. The purpose of this article is computerization of the statistical technique for the population study and DNA evidence analysis. The system using SAS/AF and SAS/SCL is the graphic user interface and the correspondence of the changed experimental circumstances.
Criminals ; DNA* ; Forensic Anthropology ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the uniqueness and reliability of the frontal sinuses by comparing various patterns of frontal sinus as observed on Waters' radiographs for individual identification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three Waters' radiographs of 100 individuals, taken on day one, after 6-8 months, and one radiograph with a slight variation in angulation, to mimic conditions out in the field or during autopsy. Three observers were randomly given radiographs from all there packets for comparisons and identification, by the method of superimposition and individual uniqueness. RESULTS: The comparative identification by superimposition of the frontal sinus was 100% positive. The size, shape, unilateral or bilateral presence, absence, and septa were observed to be unique in each case; neither had the measurements changed over a period of time. CONCLUSION: The need to establish a reliable, low-cost, and easily reproducible method for human identification prompted the elaboration of technical, precise, and accessible parameters, such as the evaluation of the area, asymmetry, and shape of the frontal sinus. Comparison among each of the frontal sinuses of the 100 people in the sample revealed that no two sinuses are the same, that is, the sinus is unique to each individual.
Autopsy ; Forensic Anthropology ; Forensic Dentistry ; Frontal Sinus ; Humans ; Hydrazines

Facial reconstruction is a way to recover facial morphology by restoring soft tissues based on unidentified skulls using the knowledge of anatomy, anthropology, aesthetics, and computer science. It is applied in forensic science, oral plastic surgery and archeology, and especially plays an important role in the identification of the origin of the unknown corpses in forensic science. Facial reconstruction is the supplementary means of identification when other approaches （such as DNA comparison, imaging matching, dental records comparison, etc.） cannot identify individual identity. Facial soft tissue thickness （FSTT） is the basis of facial reconstruction and with the development of imaging and computer science, the techniques for measuring FSTT are improving rapidly and many related researches have appeared. This paper summarizes the application of facial reconstruction in forensic science, the accuracy of different methods and the research progress of this field to provide reference to this field.
Face/surgery* ; Forensic Anthropology ; Forensic Sciences ; Research ; Skull/surgery*

Forensic dentistry is an interdiscipline of forensic medicine and stomatology, which provides legal information by collecting, testing and assessing the dental evidence scientifically. In this review, the present application of forensic dentistry has been described, such as the estimation of age, sex, species, occupation and living habit, as well as the identification of individual, domestic violence or abuse, which aims to enrich and improve forensic dentistry for making it be more useful in forensic medicine even in juridical practice.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Forensic Anthropology ; Forensic Dentistry/methods* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Tooth

Forensic anthropology is helpful for correct and fast identification of unknown individuals in mass disaster or from unidentified skeletal remains. It is based on the data of the physical anthropology and applied to the identification in many countries. The purpose of this study is to statistically analyze the 290 forensic records by an office request at NISI during 6 years and to suggest the research model for physical anthropological data that would be helpful to be used at the forensic field. The most common excavated bone was a hard bone as skull and long bones and an unknown place was the most common excavation seat over 50% among the recording place. The probability of excavation with adjacent bone was high and the small sized bones, such as phalanges of hand and foot, were excavated rarely. The incomplete or fragmented bones were found more frequently than of complete. For this reason, we think that will show the priority order of the forensic and physical anthropologic studies in Korea and the necessity of the anatomical education for police officers and inspectors of forensic fields.
Anthropology, Physical ; Disasters ; Foot ; Forensic Anthropology ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Korea ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Police ; Skull

The role of forensic anthropology is to reconstruct the process of individual death by predicting the cause and manner of death as well as to find out biological profiles of unknown skeletal remains based on the data of physical anthropology. The purpose of this study is to suggest the data of decision-making process for cranial fractures and its related weapons of skeletal remains from the forensic fields. A hammer (31.7%) and baseball bat (16.7%) represented almost half of the blunt type of weapon used in the cranial fracture. The linear fracture was caused by most of weapons, the spider's web and depressed fracture by the hammer, and the comminuted fracture by the heavy tools such as maul, wrench, etc as well as the hammer. By the chi-square test, there were significant differences between fracture patterns and types of weapon that it was helpful to estimate the weapon of cranial fracture for forensic anthropological decisions. Conclusively, we could prepare the priority order of estimating cause and manner of death in the case of cranial fracture for the forensic context and suggest research design of physical anthropology about osteological biomechanics and taphonomy relating cranial fractures.
Anthropology, Physical ; Baseball ; Biomechanics ; Forensic Anthropology ; Fractures, Comminuted ; Research Design ; Skull ; Weapons

The most essential biological profiles in physical and forensic anthropology are age, sex, and populations to be determined. In case of dealing intact skeletons, experts can often determine sex with high accuracy. The external occipital protuberance (EOP) is one of the site among morphologic traits which is used to determine human sex. This study suggests the possibility to determine the sexual dimorphism using the EOP and surrounding anatomical structures in Koreans. After three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull model from Digital Korean Human Databse, the three parts were evaluated using a classification system based on Broca, Gulekon and Turgut. To determine for scoring, this study was used two in two different ways to observe the skull model; one was a lateral view and the other was turning the skull models. In a lateral view, the shape of the occipital area was classified as 'flat' or 'convex' type. After then the scores of the anatomical structures were converted into 4-digits code. In females, the skull was more convex in shape than males but the EOP and inion were lesser projection. In the lateral and turning views, the most common pattern was Type 2 in both sexes. The most common digit code was 2-2-2-0 in males, 2-2-2-1 in females. The digit code is better than simple scoring system for determining sex. The skull in Koreans were more feminine than in other populations in both sexes.
Classification ; Female ; Forensic Anthropology ; Humans ; Male ; Skeleton ; Skull

Panoramic radiography, which can show dental characteristics in one film and evaluate postmortem information, may be highly valuable in human identification. The purpose of this study is to evaluate usefulness of human identification with dental characteristics shown in panoramic radiography through panoramic radiographies of 300 randomly selected patients who visited Yonsei University Dental Hospital. Dental characteristics of each film were classified into 8 types and diversity of dental characteristics was evaluated by turning the informations into codes. Diversity of panoramic radiography using both maxillary and mandibular dental characteristics was 99.58%. When mandibular dental characteristic (98.99%) was used alone, the diversity was found to be higher than that of maxillary dental characteristic (97.92%). Maxillary dental characteristics showed diversity in the order of right molars (92.32%), left molars (92.02%), and incisors (41.54%), while that of mandible was in the order of right molars (96.09%), left molars (95.70%), and incisors (18.97%). As a result, human identification using panoramic radiography proved to be useful not only when the whole teeth are present but also when only molars are present. Therefore, it is expected to be applied more economically and practically in identifying a large number of victims from mass disasters as well as wars.
Disasters ; Forensic Anthropology* ; Humans* ; Incisor ; Mandible ; Molar ; Radiography, Panoramic* ; Tooth

Tomb with lime-soil mixture barrier (LSMB) was constructed by the people from upper class people of Joseon Dynasty. The coffin of LSMB was surrounded by hard concrete barriers, being successfully protected from outside invasions until the archaeological excavation begins. The human remains were extremely preserved well, providing important information on the health and illness of the people of Joseon dynasty. Recent investigation into human skeletons from LSMB in Yong-in city was another forensic anthropological case that was very meaningful to our research. During the examination on the elderly Joseon female bones, we discovered unusual saw-marks on the shaft of both tibiae. We could not find any osteological evidences suggestive of healed bone process. Considering archaeological and anthropological findings altogether, the occurrence time of saw-marks was considered to be perimortem period. However, as for why such a saw mark was made on the tibiae, we did not get any information about it. We expect that this report facilitate other researcher to do explore the usefulness of forensic anthropology examination on the similar human skeleton cases identified in various archaeological ruins.
Aged ; Female ; Forensic Anthropology ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Skeleton* ; Tibia*