FORENSICOSTEOLOGY:

THEBASICTECHNIQUESOF
BIOLOGICALPROFILING
IN
HUMANIDENTIFICATION

ErwinP.Erfe,M.D.,Ll.B.,DABFM,DABFE
CertifiedForensicPhysician,AmericanCollegeofForensicExaminers
Diplomate,AmericanBoardofForensicExaminers(ABFE)
Diplomate,AmericanBoardofForensicExaminers
Focus

HumanSkeletalRemains

SeverelyDecomposedHumanRemains
S l D dH R i

BurnedHumanRemains
Skeletal Human Remains
SkeletalHumanRemains

Encounteredmainlyin2contexts

Forensic
crimes,disasters
i di t

Archaeological
skeletal
s e eta
mummifiedremains
Biological Profiling
BiologicalProfiling

Estimationof:

Sex
A
Age
Height
Ancestry

(Handedness)
(Smoker/Non Smoker)
(Smoker/NonSmoker)
Purpose of Bio Profiling
PurposeofBioProfiling

Narrowingthefieldofinvestigationto
certainsubsetsofpeople

ESTABLISHIDENTITY
S S
Sex
Sex Estimation
SexEstimation

SexualDimorphism

Morphologicalvariationamongmalesand
f
females
l

FocusonNONMETRICVISUALASSESSMENT
 Sex Estimation
SexEstimation

GeneralPrinciple:

Femalesaresmaller,moregracile,smoother
thanmales

Functionalsignificance
In Practice
InPractice

Evaluateasmanyindicatorsofsexasis
possible

Givegreatestweighttothosethatare
diagnostic(pelvis)

SexingisdifficultinSubAdult(lessthan1518
SexingisdifficultinSubAdult(lessthan15 18
y/o)
Sex Estimation
SexEstimation

Pelvis

LongBones

Skull
Pelvis
Pelvis
Pelvis (W lk T h i
(WalkerTechnique)
)
Pelvis (Phenice
Pelvis(Ph i T h i
Technique)
)
Pelvis (Phenice
Pelvis(Ph i T h i
Technique)
)
Pelvis (Phenice
Pelvis(Ph i T h i
Technique)
)
Pelvis (PubicLength)
Pelvis(P bi L th)
Preauricular Sulcus
ACTUALCASE
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
BroadGreaterSciaticNotch
ActualCase
t l C
SharpMedialAspectoftheIschiopubic Ramus
ActualCase
t l C
SharpMedialAspectoftheIschipubic Ramus
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
SEXESTIMATIONFROM
LONGBONES
Long Bones
LongBones

DiameterofHead(Femoral,Humeral)

Length(Femur,Humerus,etc)
Long Bones (FemoralHead)
LongBones(F l H d)
Long Bones
LongBones

FemaleTibia MaleTibia
SEXESTIMATIONFROM
SKULL
Skull
Skull (Buikstra
Skull(B ik t & Ub l k 1994)
&Ubelaker
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
MastoidProcess
ActualCase
t l C
MastoidProcess,Nuchal Crest
ActualCase
t l C
Nuchal Crest
ActualCase
t l C
SupraOrbitalRidge/Glabella
ActualCase
t l C
SupraOrbitalMargin
ESTIMATIONOF
AGE
Age Estimation
AgeEstimation

FetalRemains

LongBonelength
DentalCrownFormation
Age Estimation
AgeEstimation

SubAdults

Epiphyseal Union

DentalEruption

LongBoneLength
g g
Epiphyseal Union
Epiphyseal Union
DentalEruption
LongBoneLength
ActualCase
t l C
AgeEstimate=3.5to5.5yearsold
Age Estimation
AgeEstimation

Adults

MedialClavicle
PubicSymphysis
AuricularSurface
CranialSutureClosure
Sternal Ribends
DegenerativeChanges
MedialClaviclefusion
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
Actual
t l
ActualCase
t l C
 AGEESTIMATION
(
(PUBICSYMPHYSIS))
Pubic Symphysis
PubicSymphysis
ToddMethod(10phases)
ToddMethod
Suchey Brooks Method (6phases)
SucheyBrooksMethod(6 h )
Suchey Brooks Method
SucheyBrooksMethod
Suchey Brooks Method
SucheyBrooksMethod
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
 AGEESTIMATION
(AURICULARSURFACEOF
ILIUM)
LovejoyMethod
LovejoyMethod
ActualCase
t l C
Phase6
AGEESTIMATION
( )
(CRANIALSUTURECLOSURE)
CranialSutures
Cranial Sutures
CranialSutures
Cranial Sutures
CranialSutures
Cranial Sutures
CranialSutures
Scoring System
ScoringSystem

Score=0,1 Score2,3
Vault Sutural Ages
VaultSutural
Lateral Anterior Sutural Ages
LateralAnteriorSutural
 AGEESTIMATION
(
(PHASEANALYSIS4 TH RIB)
)
(ISCAN,ETAL)
(ISCAN, ET AL)
 AGEESTIMATION
( )
(DEGENERATIVECHANGES)
Osteophytes (Lipping)
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
ActualCase
t l C
Estimation Stature
EstimationStature

Heightcorrelateswithlimbbonelength
(varieswithpopulation)

longbones(femur,tibia,humerus,radial,
u a, etc )
ulna,etc.)

regressionformulas
i f l
anatomicmethod
Handedness
 Handedness
d d
RightofLeftHanded?
ActualCase
t l C
Actualcase
t l
Handedness

CompareBoneweight
CompareBonecircumference
Comparemuscleattachmentareas(origin
sandattachments)
S k ?
Smoker?
S k ?
Smoker?
S k ?
Smoker?
NicotineStains
i ti St i
MaleorFemale?
l l ?
Maleorfemale?
l f l ?
Adultorsubadult?
d lt b d lt?
ActualCase
t l C
ParturitionPits
ActualCase
t l C
ParturitionPits
ActualCase
t l C
ParturitionPits
medicolegal@rocketmail.com
09179037788

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