Identification of Human Remains

Once there is a suspicion of identity—in other words, we think we know whom the skeleton belonged to—definite positive identification can be performed by DNA analysis, by odontological methods, and also by forensic anthropology via the comparison of bone shape. This may be done, for example, by comparing the shape of specific bones visible in an antemortem X ray of the missing person with the same bones visible in a postmortem X ray of the skeleton. The most popular areas for this type of comparison are the frontal sinuses and the vertebrae, although every skeletal area can be compared. There is, however, no unanimous indication on which and how many characters are necessary in order to achieve personal identification, so some subjectivity still exists. The recurrence of discordant characters settles the case, by excluding the identity; the occurrence of several concordant characters, commonly observed within the population, does not allow one to express a final judgment on identification, whereas even a few characters rarely observed can lead to a personal identification. Craniofacial superimposition may also be performed, though it is much less reliable. Fingerprint analysis may provide a correct identification of human remains if the subject has a criminal record and can be restored even in cases of advanced decomposition. Keywords: forensic anthropology; identification; bone morphology; frontal sinus; forensic odontology; fingerprints; DNA