Sex estimation from human skeletal remains can be achieved using a diverse range of skeletal elements, methodologies, and statistical approaches. While population specificity presents a challenge for most metric sex assessment methods, the os coxae seems to bypass this issue due to its universal pattern of sexual dimorphism. The DSP2 (Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste, version 2) is a non-population-specific metric sex estimation method that employs a combination of at least four of ten measurements of the os coxae to estimate sex probabilistically. Despite the method being based on a worldwide meta-database, many populations remain unrepresented. The present study aims to test the DSP2 method on two previously untested European populations. A sample of 51 modern Italian os coxae and a sample of 53 British historical os coxae were used. The validity of the DSP2 method was evaluated through the sexing rate (88.24% for the Italian sample and 86.79% for the British sample) and sexing accuracy (ranging from 95.83% to 100%). The sex estimates were obtained by DSP2 with a 0.95 posterior probability threshold. Intra- and inter-observer error analyses revealed close to excellent reliability for most measurements (with the depth of the great sciatic notch being the only exception). The results of this study support the use of DSP2 on populations not represented in the original datasets, including modern Italian and historical British populations.

The rapid growth of global urbanisation has led to more people adopting urban-related lifestyles, which have been shown to impact human health. This study compares the effects of different lifestyles in two medieval British populations, rural Poulton and urban Gloucester, on the prevalence of lumbar vertebral pathologies. The study used descriptive diagnostic techniques to identify osteoarthritis, spondylosis and Schmorl’s nodes, and applied inferential statistics to compare and analyse the prevalence of each pathology. The analysis revealed that Schmorl’s nodes prevalence differs significantly between males and females in Gloucester but not in Poulton. Gloucester males presented higher frequencies of Schmorl’s nodes than Poulton males, while no significant differences were found for osteoarthritis and spondylosis. The study highlights that the impact of lifestyle on lumbar vertebral health is more complex than previously assumed, as the intertwined influences of the two environments make it difficult to attribute pathological patterns exclusively to a single lifestyle. Further research is recommended to enhance our understanding of the complexities related to urban and rural living and their effects on lumbar spinal pathologies.

Knife cut marks have been extensively studied in forensic literature, and the results have been beneficial in identifying both the cut mark and implement type on bone. For this study, an assessment in differentiating knife cut marks has been attempted by using sword cut mark characteristics. In addition, a flowchart was created to assist in interpreting such marks. Knives of different serrations (non-serrated, macro- and micro-serrated) were used to inflict cut marks on pig ribs with a forward and backward stab thrust. The analysis revealed that some traits adapted from previous studies applied to knife cut marks and that non-serrated and serrated marks could be distinguished accurately using the flowchart. The distinction between different types of serrated blades was not as successful. However, results show that further research and development of the flowchart can be invaluable in similar analyses.

Forensic science has made some significant contributions to the investigation of human rights abuses related to armed conflicts, especially in the last 40 years. Some investigations are aimed at the collection of evidence in order to prosecute those responsible, while others are humanitarian in nature. This paper presents the multidisciplinary effort to recover and identify the remains of a 7-year-old child who was shot by British colonial forces in Cyprus in 1956. An investigation led to the discovery of the burial site, and archaeological methods were used to recover the remains. The anthropological examination provided information about the age of the child, as well as the nature of the skeletal trauma present. DNA results confirmed the identity of the victim, and the remains were released to the surviving family members for burial.

For the first time, RGB and multispectral sensors deployed on UAVs were used to facilitate grave detection in a desert location. The research sought to monitor surface anomalies caused by burials using manual and enhanced detection methods, which was possible up to 18 months. Near-IR (NIR) and Red-Edge bands were the most suitable for manual detection, with a 69% and 31% success rate, respectively. Meanwhile, the enhanced method results varied depending on the sensor. The standard Reed–Xiaoli Detector (RXD) algorithm and Uniform Target Detector (UTD) algorithm were the most suitable for RGB data, with 56% and 43% detection rates, respectively. For the multispectral data, the percentages varied between the algorithms with a hybrid of the RXD and UTD algorithms yielding a 56% detection rate, the UTD algorithm 31%, and the RXD algorithm 13%. Moreover, the research explored identifying grave mounds using the normalized digital surface model (nDSM) and evaluated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in grave detection. nDSM successfully located grave mounds at heights as low as 1 cm. A noticeable difference in NDVI values was observed between the graves and their surroundings, regardless of the extreme weather conditions. The results support the potential of using RGB and multispectral sensors mounted on UAVs for detecting burial sites in an arid environment.

Scoliosis, characterized by an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, is predominantly idiopathic, underscoring the need to delve into its underlying causes for effective treatment and preventive strategies. This study investigates a potential correlation between scoliosis and Schmorl’s nodes (intervertebral disc herniations) influenced by Wolff’s law, which posits that bones adapt to external pressures. We analyzed CT scans from 108 juvenile decedents, including 56 with scoliosis and 52 without. After running multiple statistical tests, there was no significance between the mean bone density when compared to having scoliosis. An independent t-test provided a t-value of 0.041, which, when compared to the original significance level of 0.05, is statistically significant, although weak. When compared to the Bonferroni correction level of 0.008, it throws out the significance to give a result of not being statistically significant. It was the same in the cases of L3 (t = 0.103), L2 (t = 0.084), and L1 (t = 0.053). If compared to the regular significance level of 0.05, T12 (t = 0.012) and T11 (t = 0.042) had weak significance, but that was then excluded when the Bonferroni correction was applied. When looking at any significance of densities in different vertebral regions, the results from a one-way ANOVA (p-value = 0.213) suggest that it is likely that the results are due to random variability or chance, and that there is no statistical significance. With a value of 0.273 from a Chi-squared (χ2)/Fisher’s exact test, it suggests that there is no statistically significant correlation or difference between the variables of scoliosis and Schmorl’s nodes. The general pattern seems to follow that as the spine ascends, the density increases, and this is true in both scoliotic and non-scoliotic individuals. As a whole, it is evident that those with scoliosis have a lower vertebral density than those without, in all of the vertebral regions. There is, however, a weak negative linear relationship between bone density and age in both scoliotic and non-scoliotic individuals. A p-value of −0.229 obtained from a Pearson correlation coefficient analysis in non-scoliotic individuals, as well as a p-value of −0.069 in scoliotic individuals, was obtained. Overall, the findings of this study are comparable to some existing studies on similar topics, but there are few results that hold statistical significance and so this would be interesting to research further, potentially using a different dataset or a larger sample size that is more representative.

Reports from Ukraine since the start of the conflict in February, 2022, describe a variety of war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces in areas such as Bucha and Izyum, which include torture and summary executions.1BBCWar in Ukraine: evidence grows of civilian killings in Bucha.https://bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-60968546Date: April 2, 2022Date accessed: October 16, 2022Google Scholar In November, 2022, the Ukrainian army was also accused of executing Russian prisoners of war.2Browne M Hiltner S Clarke-Williams C Turner T Videos suggest captive Russian soldiers were killed at close range. The New York Times, Nov 21, 2022https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/20/world/europe/russian-soldiers-shot-ukraine.htmlDate accessed: November 27, 2022Google Scholar Stories on major media outlets cite witness statements about these crimes, and describe the exhumation of mass graves conducted by local authorities. Resolution S34/1 of the UN Human Rights Council established an Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine to investigate violations and abuses of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes.3The Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightsUN Commission has found an array of war crimes, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been committed in Ukraine.https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/un-commission-has-found-array-war-crimes-violations-human-rights-andDate: Oct 18, 2022Date accessed: November 4, 2022Google Scholar One of its first tasks was to investigate events during late February and March, 2022, in the four regions of Ukraine—Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy—following a brief period of occupation by Russian armed forces. The report produced by the Commission, dated Oct 18, 2022, describes a wide range of violations of human rights and, in some cases, even war crimes.4Independent International Commission of Inquiry on UkraineReport of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine: A/77/533.https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/A-77-533-AUV-EN.pdfDate: Oct 18, 2022Date accessed: November 9, 2022Google Scholar As expected, both sides of the conflict have been found responsible, albeit to different degrees. Throughout the report, references are made to witness accounts and findings of investigations by local authorities, such as post-mortem examinations and identification of victims following exhumations of graves. Although the inquiry aims to contribute to the identification of those responsible for these war crimes, it is not enough. On-the-ground investigations by teams of forensic experts are urgently needed to document the allegations made by witnesses. The Commission mentions “limited resources” in their report. Given the serious nature of this situation, it is hoped that more resources will be allocated to the Commission to conduct these investigations by independent and impartial experts. Similar missions have taken place in the past by multidisciplinary teams composed of forensic archaeologists, anthropologists, pathologists, odontologists, and geneticists. Such multidisciplinary teams must also include members from both Russia and Ukraine. If this inclusion is not possible at the time of investigation, delegations from both countries should be given access to the forensic teams throughout the investigations. Doing so will ensure that the results will be evidence-based and accepted by both parties of the conflict. These arrangements have taken place in the past (see the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus) and are feasible in this case also. The role of the forensic teams will be to exhume remains from individual or mass graves and conduct examinations to identify any signs of torture and peri-mortem trauma. Biological profile information such as sex and age are also important, as they can indicate the presence of non-combatants among the victims. Identification of each individual is another important aspect of the investigation, as the victim's identity will most likely indicate who was responsible for their death. Funds need to be available for DNA examinations to identify individuals. This type of analysis will also contribute to the humanitarian aspect of the investigation, as it will allow the surviving families to find out the circumstances of their relative's death and give them the opportunity to hold a proper burial. The results of these investigations should also be used to bring those responsible to justice, as has happened in other cases. The safety of the forensic personnel is, of course, a priority, and the investigations should take place only when it is safe to do so. This can be agreed upon by both sides to the conflict, who will take steps to avoid endangering the lives of the investigators. Finally, the graves should be protected as they contain crucial evidence that can only be of use if collected properly by impartial and independent teams of experts. In the past, well-intentioned individuals have attempted to recover bodies of loved ones from mass graves worldwide, which has resulted in loss of evidence.5Stover E Haglund WD Samuels M Exhumation of mass graves in Iraq: considerations for forensic investigations, humanitarian needs, and the demands of justice.JAMA. 2003; 290: 663-666Crossref PubMed Scopus (38) Google Scholar Communicating the findings of the official investigations through press releases and reports is also important to aid in the formation of unbiased public opinion. Failure to do so leaves room for rampant propaganda, which will only further fuel the conflict. Science can and should be given the opportunity to play a remedial role in this war. I declare no competing interests.

The Middle East is one of the world regions that has frequently suffered from armed conflicts that resulted in mass burials. However, the detection of clandestine graves in such an arid environment by deploying remote sensing payload on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has received little attention. The present study used a UAV equipped with a thermal sensor aimed at narrowing down the search area of possible gravesites in the arid climate of Kuwait. The enclosed research area, which includes both control and experimental mass graves, was imaged for 18 months. The variation in topsoil temperature and soil moisture between the graves and their surroundings was evaluated. The results of the analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of thermal imaging techniques in detecting heat produced from buried sheep carcasses and detecting the change in grave soil moisture for our research environment for 7 and 10 months, respectively. The buried animals significantly influenced the topsoil temperature (p = 0.044), while the height from which the images were captured had an insignificant effect on the measured temperature within the range tested (p = 0.985). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation (-0.359) between grave temperature and the calculated soil moisture. The results from these cost- and time-effective search methods presented in this study confirm their potential for the detection of burial sites in an arid environment.

Sex assessment is one of the first steps of routine forensic anthropological examinations and it provides a crucial element to identify a set of human skeletal remains. In bioarchaeological contexts, this assessment is also important, as it helps in the reconstruction of past societies. Sex determination can be achieved by using several morphological or metric traits of the skull and postcranial skeleton, which have been found to have varying degrees of accuracy. In 1969 Phenice proposed a methodology focusing on three traits located on the pubis. These traits were described as either having a female or male morphology with ambiguity being rare. Phenice's method became regularly utilized as it was considered to be reliable. In 2012, Klales and colleagues published a revision of Phenice's method, as they found that it did not capture the variation in the expression of the three traits. Klales and co-authors created a visual ordinal scale of 1-5 for each of the three traits Phenice originally identified, thus adding three extra possible forms of expression. The purpose of the present research was to test both the original and revised methodologies on the same skeletal population in order to evaluate their suitability for the assessment of sex. The Luis Lopes Anthropological collection in Lisbon was used; 117 males and 117 females were scored using both methodologies. The results showed that the original method performed better (96.5% accuracy) than the revised method (92.7%).

Correctly assessing sex from skeletal remains is one of the main elements of creating a biological profile. Many traits allow for this, the obturator foramen being one. However, research on its accuracy has provided mixed results. This study examines the obturator foramen using a 5-point grading scale to assess the degree of sexual dimorphism in four known age and sex skeletal collections from the UK and South Africa. Overall, sexual dimorphism was found in the obturator foramen when using the new scoring system; however, accuracies for correct sex classification ranged from ~ 46 to ~ 75%. Considering its wide range in accuracy rates across the four samples and difficulty in identifying the subtle changes in morphology, the obturator foramen should only be used as part of a multifactorial assessment of sex.

Forensic anthropologists assess sex by analysing quantitative and qualitative characters of the human skeleton. In general, the pelvis and skull are the skeletal regions used most often, but in many cases, they are missing or fragmentary. In such circumstances, where only limb bones are present, it is necessary to use techniques based on other skeletal elements. Metric traits of the long bones of the lower extremities have been reported as reliable indicators of sex. This study was designed to determine whether the two main long bones of the leg, the femur and tibia, can be used for the assessment of sex on a Greek skeletal population. The skeletal sample used in this study comes from the modern human skeletal collection that is currently housed at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is known as The Athens Collection. It consists of 371 femora and 372 tibiae corresponding to 200 adult individuals (111 males and 89 females). The age range is 19-96 years for males and 20-99 years for females. The maximum lengths and epiphyseal widths were measured for the present study, and it was found that the discriminant analysis of the metrical data of each long bone provided high sex discrimination accuracies. The rate of correct sex discrimination based on different long bones ranged from 91.50 % (left femur) to 93.40 % (left tibia). Our results suggest that lower limb bones can be used effectively for sexing in forensic contexts, in addition to other sex assessment techniques.

Working conditions in factories during the Industrial Era in Great Britain have been linked to numerous occupational diseases. In this paper, the authors present a case study from Victorian Gloucester, where skeletal remains of a young male recovered from the Southgate Street 3/89 excavation exhibit osteonecrosis on the left mandibular ramus, a condition known as "phossy jaw." The case is examined in terms of macroscopic characteristics, distribution and severity of lesions, and differential diagnosis. The lesions consist of extensive bone necrosis with periosteal reaction and sub-periosteal new bone formation that affects the left side of the mandible. Conditions that may have produced similar changes were considered and include various forms of neoplasms, actinomycosis, and taphonomic alterations. However, these are rejected as they are not supported by the lesion characteristics. Additional supportive evidence for the case of phosphorus necrosis is offered by the historical context: In the 19th century, Gloucester was one of the main centres for match manufacture, and it is well known that individuals who were directly exposed to phosphorus fumes developed a condition known as "phossy jaw." The potential contribution of the current analysis in our understanding of working conditions in Victorian Gloucester is evaluated.

The major upper limb skeletal elements (scapulae, humeri, ulnae and radii) are frequently utilized for sex determination and stature estimation. Consequently, in forensic cases that involve commingled remains, it is crucial to reassociate the aforementioned bones and attribute them to the right individual. The aim of the present study is to develop simple and multiple regression equations for sorting commingled human skeletal elements of the upper limb. In that context, ten common anthropological linear measurements of the articular surfaces of scapulae, humeri, ulnae, and radii were performed on 222 adult skeletons from the Athens Collection. The functions developed for sorting adjoining bones presented a strong positive linear relationship (r = 0.69-0.93, p < 0.05). The values of the determination coefficient statistics (r(2) = 0.47-0.86) were found to be high and those of the standard errors of the estimate were found to be low (SEE = 0.88-1.61). Blind tests indicated that when metric and morphoscopic sorting techniques are combined, a reliable sorting of the skeletal elements of the upper limbs is possible. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ABSTRACT Analysis of the septal aperture was conducted on two documented European populations. Collections from the National Museum of Natural History Lisbon, Portugal, and University of Athens, Greece, were used for the study. Both collections are modern and documented for sex and age. The Portuguese sample comprises 297 individuals (149 males and 148 females) between the ages of 18 and 88. A septal aperture was observed in 50 individuals resulting in a frequency of 16.83%. The Greek sample comprises 117 individuals (68 males and 49 females) between the ages of 20 and 65. Twenty‐five septal apertures were observed, giving a frequency of 21.37%. Both populations had high frequencies which exceeded those observed in European countries in previous studies. Sex analysis shows that both samples confirm that septal apertures are more common in females. The Portuguese sample also supports that septal apertures are more common in the left humerus; however, the Greek sample had a higher frequency of bilateral cases. Measurements of the Portuguese sample were taken to determine whether robusticity correlates with presence of septal apertures. These measurements concluded that there was no difference in robusticity with presence or absence of a septal aperture, challenging previous studies. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1821–1830, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy

Attempts to develop new methods of sex determination in forensic anthropology are constantly being made by researchers in the field. This paper investigates the potential of using an index of the fovea capitis femoris shape as a method of sex determination. The currently held belief is that variation within the fovea capitis is purely idiosyncratic. The study was carried out on a sample of 19 males and 19 females from the Gloucester skeletal collection housed at Liverpool John Moores University. Measurements of the maximum fovea capitis height and breadth were taken from both the left and right femora and converted into an index. It was found that while there was no significant difference in dimensions alone, there was a significant difference in index values between males and females for both the left (t(34) = 4.294, p < 0.001) and right (t(32) = 3.046. p = 0.05) fovea capitis. This method was found to have 78.1% accuracy in determining the sex of an individual. Therefore, we may now be able to state that variation of the fovea capitis is sexually dimorphic and not exclusively idiosyncratic as first thought.

Sex determination is a vital part of the analysis of skeletal remains and the creation of biological profiles that aid in identification. The pelvis and skull are the regions usually employed by anthropologists and produce very good results. However, the mandible, being a very durable bone and frequently preserved has not received the attention that other skeletal elements have. There are some morphological methods for sexing the mandible, however metrics are considered to be more objective and easier to replicate. This study uses the measurements of the bimental breadth and the corpus thickness of the mandible. Univariate and multivariate analysis was carried out to create discriminant function equations. These equations can be used to sex a mandible with overall accuracy rates as high as 77.3%. The results of the present research are similar to those of other studies and indicate that mandibular metrics can be relied upon for sex determination, especially in cases where other elements are not preserved.

Sex and temporal differences are assessed in relation to dietary habits and activity patterns in three ancient populations from Corinth, Greece. The skeletal sample spans time from the Geometric to the Early Byzantine Period (9th c. BCE-5th c. CE). Dental caries and tooth wear have been proven to be reliable dietary indicators. Similarly, spinal osteoarthritis, spinal facet remodeling and Schmorl's nodes, have been used to infer activity patterns.

Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by gram-negative bacteria of the genus Brucella. Osteoarticular complications are the most frequent symptoms of brucellosis occurring in up to 40% of the cases. Two brucellosis cases submitted to the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School for forensic anthropological evaluation are reported. The value of the contribution of the brucellar lesions to the location of the most likely geographic origin of two missing individuals is presented. The presence of a pathologic condition, such as brucellosis, in skeletal remains can give significant information about the biological profile of an unidentified victim and greatly enhances the chances of obtaining a positive identification.

The authors of the present work evaluate the trauma observed on the skeletal remains of an individual from medieval Gloucester and reconstruct the events that led to his death. The almost complete skeleton was recovered from the cemetery of St Owen and dates to the late medieval period. Several methods were used to determine the sex and age of the individual. The anthropological examination showed that the remains belonged to a young male, between the ages of 17 and 19 years. The young man also had antemortem pathologies that were related to his diet and lifestyle, as he appears to have had iron-deficiency anemia and Schmorl nodes. The trauma observed on the remains consisted of 3 cut marks located on the cranium, left radius, and right scapula. The cuts seem to have been inflicted by a heavy weapon, such as a sword. The trauma pattern observed is consistent with defensive action, and the fact that this skeleton was the only one in the collection that has evidence of trauma suggests that this was a case of interpersonal violence.