Metropolitan Forensic Anthropology Team (MFAT) Case Studies in Identification: 2. Identification of a Vietnamese Trophy Skull

Taylor, James V.; Roh, Louis; Goldman, Arthur D.

doi:10.1520/jfs11799j

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Johnson'' was found in Iowa does not necessarily mean that he was from Iowa. Because of the existence of ''trophies'' (Taylor et al, 1984;Sledzik and Ousley, 1991;Verano, 2003;Harrison, 2006) in forensic contexts, it is always possible that remains have been transported a considerable distance. For ''Mr.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation and evidence in forensic anthropology: Sex and race

Konigsberg

Algee‐Hewitt

Steadman

2009

American J Phys Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Forensic anthropology typically uses osteological and/or dental data either to estimate characteristics of unidentified individuals or to serve as evidence in cases where there is a putative identification. In the estimation context, the problem is to describe aspects of an individual that may lead to their eventual identification, whereas in the evidentiary context, the problem is to provide the relative support for the identification. In either context, individual characteristics such as sex and race may be useful. Using a previously published forensic case (Steadman et al. (2006) Am J Phys Anthropol 131:15-26) and a large (N = 3,167) reference sample, we show that the sex of the individual can be reliably estimated using a small set of 11 craniometric variables. The likelihood ratio from sex (assuming a 1:1 sex ratio for the "population at large") is, however, relatively uninformative in "making" the identification. Similarly, the known "race" of the individual is relatively uninformative in "making" the identification, because the individual was recovered from an area where the 2000 US census provides a very homogenous picture of (self-identified) race. Of interest in this analysis is the fact that the individual, who was recovered from Eastern Iowa, classifies very clearly with [Howells 1973. Cranial Variation in Man: A Study by Multivariate Analysis of Patterns of Difference Among Recent Human Populations. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology; 1989. Skull Shape and the Map: Craniometric Analyses in the Dispersion of Modern Homo. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press]. Easter Islander sample in an analysis with uninformative priors. When the Iowa 2000 Census data on self-reported race are used for informative priors, the individual is clearly identified as "American White." This analysis shows the extreme importance of an informative prior in any forensic application.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation and evidence in forensic anthropology: Sex and race

Konigsberg

Algee‐Hewitt

Steadman

2009

American J Phys Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Numerous authors have commented on the harms to science caused by NAGPRA with respect to the continued study of Native American remains (e.g., [41]). The illicit sale of human remains shows no signs of abating (42)(43)(44)(45)(46) and law enforcement agencies must have an effective way of establishing population affinity, notwithstanding the debates about this practice in the academic literature (47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Identification of a Human Skull Recovered from an eBay Sale

Seidemann¹,

Stojanowski²,

Rich³

2009

Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A human skull seized by the State of Louisiana from an eBay sale is analyzed. Bioarchaeological analyses of age-at-death, sex, and population affinity suggest the individual represented by the skull was a middle-aged Native American female. The presence of intentional cranial modification independently supports the population affinity assessment while confounding the metric analyses. However, no further specificity as to population affinity could be inferred using existing methods and comparative databases. Sedimentological and palynological analyses were attempted to redress this impasse. The presence of fine-grained charcoal, abundant fungal remains, and small angular quartz grains suggestive of burial in loess, as well as the lack of pollen, pteridophyte spores, and microscopic algae, suggest a likely upland burial location from somewhere in the lower Mississippi Valley. The sedimentological and palynological analyses, while not conclusive, show promise for use in future affiliation analyses of human remains recovered during the course of forensic investigations. The results are reviewed within the broader context of the legal debate over the repatriation of human remains.

show abstract

“…Perhaps, the best‐documented instance of discovery of anatomical remains is the excavation at the Medical College of Georgia (16). Although presenting an identical degree of medicolegal significance, another type of prepared skeletal specimen, the trophy skull, has a much greater representation in the forensic literature (26–30). Certainly, the analysis of trophy skulls could ultimately lead to identification of products derived from the activity of a serial killer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Anatomical Diaspora: Evidence of Early American Anatomical Traditions in North Dakota

Stubblefield

2011

Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The current focus in forensic anthropology on increasing scientific certainty in ancestry determination reinforces the need to examine the ancestry of skeletal remains used for osteology instruction. Human skeletal remains were discovered on the University of North Dakota campus in 2007. After recovery, the osteological examination resulted in a profile for a 33- to 46-year-old woman of African descent with stature ranging from 56.3 to 61.0 in. The pattern of postmortem damage indicated that the remains had been prepared for use as an anatomical teaching specimen. Review of the American history of anatomical teaching revealed a preference for Black subjects, which apparently extended to states like North Dakota despite extremely low resident populations of people of African descent. This study emphasizes the need to examine the ancestry of older teaching specimens that lack provenience, rather than assuming they are derived from typical (i.e., Indian) sources of anatomical material.

show abstract

Metropolitan Forensic Anthropology Team (MFAT) Case Studies in Identification: 2. Identification of a Vietnamese Trophy Skull

Cited by 13 publications

References 1 publication

Estimation and evidence in forensic anthropology: Sex and race

Estimation and evidence in forensic anthropology: Sex and race

The Identification of a Human Skull Recovered from an eBay Sale

The Anatomical Diaspora: Evidence of Early American Anatomical Traditions in North Dakota

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About