Policie České republiky – Kriminalistický ústav
05
Stature, Population Affinity
Stature
Stature is calculated from the length of long bones, it means the humerus, bones of the forearm (ulna and radius), femur and shin bones (tibia and fibula). The measured lengths of the bones, ideally of the humerus and femur, are used in the regression equations which differ for the various populations and sexes. It must be taken in account that the application of the proper reference set of the particular population is important especially with regard to the interpopulation differences in the trunk and limbs proportionality. Some populations might have rather long lower limbs compared to a shorter trunk. The final stature estimation is expressed at the interval of a few centimeters meanwhile a regular body development of the individual is assumed excluding any growth defects or other abnormalities in the body proportionality.
Population affinity
Population affinity or population affiliation is mostly visible on the skull. The skull shape and morphology of some of its structures demonstrably differs among persons namely in connection to their geographical and/or historical origin.
In the past the anthropologists tried to differentiate humans based on the anatomy into different “races”, however, currently the humans are divided into three basic categories following the skull morphhology – Caucasian, Mongoloid and Negroid. Placing the skull into one of these categories does not necessarily refer to the direct geographical origin but rather to a distant ancestral affinity to one of the human evolution lines.
Basic differences on skulls are seen in the shape of orbits, width of the nasal aperture and appearance of its bottom part, cheek bones curve and width or shape of the hard palate. Similarly to the live persons examination, also on the skulls it is possible to find the whole range of transient forms or combinations of features and that is why the population affinity cannot be always unambiguously determined.