Policie České republiky – Kriminalistický ústav
02
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic anthropology examines and identifies skeletal remains and unidentified corpses in different stages of decomposition. Human osteology analysis combines biological anthropology, anatomy, morphology and stomatology knowledge.
Beginnings of the forensic anthropology in the Institute of Criminalistics date back to the 1960s. More modern procedures and technologies were gradually added to the original standard methods and now, besides the standard sliding callipers or craniometer, also microscopes, superimposition devices, 3D scanners, X-ray devices are used as well as, in cooperation with other forensic branches, other procedures and devices.
Human osteology analysis covers the complete assessment of human skeletal remains which means the age of the material is estimated, as well as the number of individuals and, for each individual, their biological profile is determined.
The biological profile includes estimation of the population affinity (ethnic affiliation), sex estimation, age estimation and calculation of the height of the person. Any other further findings on health condition, development or growth or development defects, illnesses, diseases and injuries suffered, surgeries, overall condition of teeth, etc add to the previously listed basic information. All the information above, read from the skeletal remains, can direct the investigation and narrow the circle of individuals the remains might belong to. When one or a few possible identities have been selected, all the data collected from the skeletal remains (post-mortem data) are compared to the data of a person supposed to be the one the remains belong to (ante-mortem data).
Complex identification process of a person includes comparison of:
- medical records, dental records, X-rays, CT images with data learnt from the skeletal remains,
- photographs of a face or X-rays of the skull of the selected person with the skull of the unidentified corpse using the superimposition method,
- fingerprints within the fingerprint examination (only in case, there are such fingerprints preserved on the corpse and there are reference fingerprints of the selected person available as well),
- DNA profile resulting from the genetic examination (only in case there are reference profiles of the selected person or a close blood relative available).