Age at death assessment of adult skeletons is one of the most difficult problems in forensic and physical anthropology. Two fundamental sources of error are described: the complex variability in the process of skeletal aging and methodological bias. Taking into account these limits, we developed a new scoring system for the auricular surface of the ilium and the pubic symphysis. In order to address a large variability, we examine reference samples from Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. Data were processed using Bayesian prediction in order to classify specimens in age range categories. Results show that combining indicators do not perform better than the auricular surface used as a single indicator. Morphological changes with aging are variable between Asian, African, and European populations, confirming the necessity to use population-specific standards. Bayesian prediction produces reliable classification and is applicable for subjects over 50 years old, a real methodological improvement.

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Age determination is a major field of interest in forensic anthropology. Among the different methods based on macroscopic skeletal study, the Suchey-Brooks method, which analyzes the pubic symphysis, is one of the most reliable. We applied the Suchey-Brooks method to three-dimensional computed tomographic reconstructions of the pubic symphysis. We demonstrated excellent agreement between the results of analysis of bone samples and those of the three-dimensional images, in particular regarding ridges of the articular surface and delimitation of the extremities. The accuracy of age estimation did not significantly differ (Wilcoxon test) between the Suchey-Brooks method applied to bones and the same method applied to CT images. Using high-quality images, this approach seems as reliable as the standard Suchey-Brooks method and offers several advantages: no bone preparation, no damage to bone material, and the possibility of application to living individuals.

Sperm detection can be an important factor in confirming sexual assault in cases of rape. This paper compares three of the most commonly used staining methods cited in the scientific literature: Christmas tree, hematoxylin-eosin, and alkaline fuchsin. The population studied was composed of 174 consenting women seen at the Male Infertility Center in Toulouse, France. The date of their last sexual intercourse was accurately known. Alkaline fuchsin did not seem effective in detecting spermatozoa in vaginal samples. Compared with hematoxylin-eosin, Christmas tree stain appeared to be the most useful test in the first 72 h. Two external factors were associated with decreased detection of spermatozoa: time since intercourse and sperm volume.

Virtual anthropology is made possible by modern cross-sectional imaging. Multislice CT (MSCT) can be used for comparative bone and dental identification, reconstructive identification and lesion identification. Comparative identification, the comparison of ante-and post-mortem imaging data, can be performed on both teeth and bones. Reconstructive identification, a considerable challenge for the radiologist, identifies the deceased by determining sex, geographical origin, stature and age at death. Lesion identification combines virtual autopsy and virtual anthropology. MSCT can be useful in palaeopathology, seeking arthropathy, infection, oral pathology, trauma, tumours, haematological disorders, stress indicators or occupational stress in bones and teeth. We examine some of the possibilities offered by this new radiological subspeciality that adds a new dimension to the work of the forensic radiologist. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial and involves communication and data exchange between radiologists, forensic pathologists, anthropologists and radiographers.Virtual autopsies are currently becoming increasingly common worldwide in forensic medicine.1 Use of multislice CT (MSCT) or multidetector CT (MDCT) before classic medicolegal autopsy gives the forensic pathologist considerable information on injuries and cause of death.2 A recent advance in forensic imaging is post-mortem CT angiography, which yields further information on soft tissues and visceral and vascular injuries. Modern cross-sectional imaging can be used in virtual anthropological studies as well as in virtual autopsy. 4 In biological anthropology, it can be applied to compare bone or dental criteria between species. An important application is forensic anthropology, to obtain positive identification of an unknown decedent. The introduction of imaging in anthropology is of course not new, and many radiographic applications have been already described and published.In virtual anthropology, teeth and bones can be studied by MRI or by MSCT. MRI has numerous applications, 5,6 and it will certainly become an important tool in forensic study of the living, particularly for age assessment. This technique presents many advantages compared with MSCT, and, like ultrasound, it is X-ray free. However, access to MRI in thanatology is currently difficult, mainly because of limited time availability of the machine.The wide range of possibilities offered by MSCT may seem bewildering to a non-radiologist! If an MSCT examination is to give optimal results, many technical conditions must be adhered to in terms of image quality, spatial resolution and contrast. If not, the final images may even be unusable, in particular, for analysis of fine trabecular bone lesions (Figure 1). The initial CTmust be performed with appropriate voltage, amperage, field of view and slice thickness. After acquisition, reconstruction time is critical. Choice of thickness and interval and choice of filters influence voxel size and the possibility of radiological interpretation...