Forensic Anthropology

A Case of Complete Hyoid Body Agenesis and the Benefits of Anthropology Consultation When Assessing Structures of the Neck

Justin Z. Goldstein — 2023-11-29

This case study details a rare finding of hyoid body agenesis. Anthropological consultation on structures of the neck is
frequently utilized at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This practice allows for anthropology findings to supplement and support the autopsy reports produced by the medical examiners, often detailing the presence of trauma and/or anatomical variants. In this case, while no trauma to the neck was suspected, anthropological consultation revealed a unique hyoid morphology that has not yet been documented in the forensic literature. Moreover, this morphology seems to support a single developmental origin for the hyoid body, which has been theorized in recent embryological research. Analysis of this hyoid body agenesis may contribute meaningful data to discussions regarding hyoid bone developmental origins and provide a useful example for other forensic cases involving similar morphology. This case exemplifies the benefit of pathological and anthropological collaboration in distinguishing between trauma, pathology, and anatomical variants when assessing structures of the neck.

Precocious Natural Mummification in Hanging

Deren Çeker — 2024-01-30

Mummification is regarded as a particular form of decomposition. External factors such as sun, wind, humidity, and temperature are known to accelerate or slow down the mummification period. The process can take weeks or months to complete. Consequently, the diversity of external factors makes postmortem interval (PMI) estimations difficult. This case study reports on the first example of precocious natural mummification in Northern Cyprus and involves a 20-year-old male found hanging from the railing in the stairwell
of an unfinished building. The individual had been missing only seven days. The body underwent complete computed tomography scanning, autopsy, and toxicology analysis. A fractured hyoid with associated ecchymosis is documented, indicating death by asphyxiation. The crime scene environmental factors and seven-day weather report during which the individual was missing were assessed to understand the factors that influenced this rapid mummification. Reporting on this case contributes to PMI studies in studies in Cyprus and other locations with similar environmental factors.

A Comparison of Scales for Recording and Evaluating Dental Arcade Shape

Christopher Maier — 2023-09-06

Recording scales to evaluate the shape of the dental arcade have been proposed; however, no comparison has been made among different scales to assess which is best. Here, a comparison is made among several scales (Gill 1971, 1995; Gill & Rhine 1986; Hefner & Linde 2018; Hooton, The Harvard Blanks n.d.; Maier 2017; Maier et al. 2015), and they were evaluated on (1) low observer error and (2) strong association with groups. Digital photographs of 659 individuals from collections across the United States were assessed for dental arcade shape. These data were generated by three observers to test for replicability. Additionally, the relationship between scale and sample groups was evaluated using a combination of chi-squares and several measures of effect size (Cramér’s V, Sakoda’s C, Goodman–Kruskal lambda). Values for Fleiss’s kappa range from “fair” to “almost perfect” between intra-and interobserver measures (κ = 0.212–0.851). Nearly all scales exhibit significant associations with the sample groups, though the general trend is toward weak effect sizes. All values for Cramér’s V and Sakoda’s C fall below 0.3, and the lambda statistic does not exceed an average reduction of error of 6%. The Gill scale is the most reliably recorded but is tied to typological approaches to human variation. A five-point scale proposed by Maier (2017) is less replicable but has the largest effect sizes—“moderate” compared to “weak.” Recording the angle of the sides of the dental arcade may be as informative as several of these scales and avoids many typological associations.

The Origins of Forensic Anthropology in the United States

Nicholas Passalacqua — 2024-01-30

Traditional histories of forensic anthropology focus on key figures, events, and/or publications within a larger narrative of disciplinary formation and expansion. These histories typically highlight individuals such as Thomas Dwight or institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. This project represents an interdisciplinary collaboration with the goal of shedding new light onto the origins of forensic anthropology in the United States. By pulling from a number of published scholarly sources, as well as some unpublished correspondence, this project expands upon the more established historical events concerning the history of forensic anthropology. Here we argue that the origins of contemporary forensic anthropology not only trace back to the work of Wilton Krogman but that Krogman’s forensic anthropology must be understood through the life and work of his mentor, T. Wingate Todd, as well as the Hamann-Todd Collection, early efforts toward personal identification of human skeletal remains, and a complex amalgamation of US and UK influences that Krogman was exposed to through Todd’s mentorship efforts.

Pioneers of Color

Matthew C. Go — 2023-11-29

Popular renditions on the history of forensic anthropology have traced the discipline’s roots back to early European anatomy and nineteenth to twentieth-century American research and applications to the legal system, often highlighting the works of several recurring figures. These forebearers are overwhelmingly composed of white men to the exclusion of, as we argue here, pioneers of color. As a counter to prevailing Eurocentric narratives, we present the biographies of diverse contemporaries who were equally foundational to the field, including Black Americans, immigrants, and luminaries outside of the Western world. Common themes among their experiences involved discrimination, a lack of opportunities and recognition, and a biocultural and humanistic praxis that demonstrate modern discourses within the forensic anthropology community are not novel. Ultimately, this work shows that the historical foundations of forensic anthropology, in both the United States and globally, include a far more diverse cast of pioneers than what the prevailing literature suggests and should serve as a springboard from which our discipline can grow, both in its past and in its future.

Daubert and the Effect on Biological Profile Research

Kate M. Lesciotto — 2023-11-30

As a core component of casework, methods for estimating the biological profile must meet current legal standards to be
admissible as part of a forensic anthropologist’s expert witness testimony. Since the 1993 US Supreme Court Daubert decision, forensic anthropologists have voiced concern that methods relying on subjective or qualitative data might now be at risk of judicial exclusion. This research used a bibliometric approach to assess whether current forensic anthropology research has shifted toward the use of more objective and/or quantitative data. Forensic anthropology articles published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences between 1972 and 2020 were reviewed (n = 1,142), with data collected on each article’s topic, use of different data types, and inclusion of observer error studies. A subset of articles focusing on methods for estimating the four main parameters of the biological profile (age, sex, ancestry/population affinity, stature) was analyzed using chi-square tests for trend in proportions. Age and sex estimation articles showed a significant shift toward more quantitative data (p < 0.001), although no biological profile subtopic showed a significant shift toward more objective data. While this may seem to be a surprising result, a deeper review of current legal standards and standards of practice suggests that Daubert does not require significant changes to how forensic anthropologists approach research design and method development. So long as the principles of good science are followed, the continued reliance on qualitative data should not be a concern from the standpoint of evidentiary admissibility.

Review of: Mildred Trotter and the Invisible Histories of Physical and Forensic Anthropology

Jade S. De La Paz — 2023-11-06

A Review of Mildred Trotter and the Invisible Histories of Physical and Forensic Anthropology, Emily K. Wilson, ISBN 9781032180892, CRC Press, 2022.