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A Reliable Regression‐Based Approach for Reassociating Human Skeletal Elements of the Lower Limbs from Commingled Assemblages
Author(s) -
Anastopoulou Ioanna,
Karakostis Fotios A.,
Moraitis Konstantinos
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.13884
Subject(s) - sorting , metric (unit) , forensic anthropology , femur , human bone , regression , biology , computer science , statistics , mathematics , geography , paleontology , archaeology , engineering , algorithm , biochemistry , operations management , in vitro
Accurate sorting of commingled human remains comprises a fundamental requirement for all further anthropological analyses. The lower limb bones are particularly important for reconstructing biological profiles. This study introduces a metric technique for sorting these elements using eight standard anthropological measurements and 222 adult individuals from Greece. The bones utilized were the os coxae , the femora , the tibiae and the tali . Simple regression analyses were used to develop functions for reassociating articulating bones, providing strong correlations ( r = 0.74–0.95, p ‐value <0.05) and high coefficients of determination ( r 2 =0.54–0.91). Blind tests demonstrated that combining metric and morphoscopic techniques provides an excellent sorting accuracy for the hip and knee joints (ten of ten individuals), allowing for a reliable reassociation between a sex and age indicator ( os coxae ) and a body size indicator ( femur ). Overall, these results indicate the high value of metric methods in sorting commingled human remains.