A Database for Forensic Anthropology
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FOR Final Report to the Nat ianal Inst i tute of Just ice 633 Indi aria Ave., N.W. Washington, D. C., 20531 Grant No. 85-1 J-CX-0021 NCJ~~ Draft Copy A- Prepared by (I I. .-_, R. L. Jantz and P. H. Moore-Jansen Department of Anthropal ogy University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 37996-8720 Te 1 : 61 5-974-4488 ABSTRACT We have established a computerized data base for use in human skel eta1 identification research. The data base contains information obtained from 715 individuals whose skeletons were sent to forensic anthropol~gistsfor identification or study. ham irr~rtrditi race and sex. Documentation for each skeleton consists of age, sex race, height, weight and additional information about the individual that may be available. Measurements and observations from each skeleton were entered and stored in the data base. Our data base is broadly representative of the contemporary U.S. populat~on as it is seen by forensic anthrapalagists. As such it diff ers considerably from skeletons in anatomical col lections, upon which most current forensic research rests. Demographical ly, forensic skeletons represent younger individuals from a mare diverse ethnic background than those found in anatomical collections. Ethnically, our sample is 67 % White, 19 % Black, 6 % Hispanic and 3 % Native American. Metrically, forensic skeletons are larger and more variable. We have used the metric data to revise sex and race identification standards. The new standards are more suitable for use in forensic practice than those current1 y avai lable. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Financial suppart for the data bank project was provided by the National Institute of Justice, grant number €?b-IJ-CX-~9(321, and we are especially indebted to Mr. Joe Kochans!-:i for his 17elp. We thank the members of the data banking committee of the Physical Anthropology srcti on of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, J. Stanley Rhine, Douglas Ubelaker and the late J. Lawrence Angel far their helpful carnments on the pracedt-tres and format of the data bank, for their participation in the contribution af data records, and .for their haspitality durinq our visits to their ~~espectiveresearcti institutionsu We thanl.:: MiBat-ter far her special ef.f:orts in obtaining necessary documenta~tion for a large number of University af New lvle:.:ic=a f urensic records, thereby improving the qua1 i ty of the data-base. Special thariks go tu Clyde Snow, who alciginally proposed the idea of data banking forensic case, and to William M. Bass COP n~trturing the project in its early stagesy as well as for his continuing s~tpportand enthusiasm. We are also indebted to all those who contributed data, especially Walter Birkby, Ted Rathbun and Doug Owsley. We also thank Lee Meadows who spent hours of recording and key punching data, David Hunt who assisted in both key punching and analysis, and Tany Falsetti who assisted in key punching and plotting of Figure 10 in the text. 111 STORY AND BACt:::GfOUf\!D ................................. ..II~~TBUL~L~~OI-I ............................. ., .......... Comparative Anatomical Col lectians ................... The Data Banking Concept ............................. DATA AND STRUCTURE OF THE DGTA-BASE .................... Hardware arid Sdtware ................................ Rert-or-birtg F'r-tscedcrres ................................. Compr.ttw.i.zed Re.-ording For-mat ........................ Eata Fil es ani:l 5.tr.uc..t.1...tie ............................ DATA S!.IMMAF2Y AN9 I3EPIOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF' COP.ITENTS OF DA"I"A EASE .............................................. General cantents ........................... .......... Data CXassiSicatian .................................. Sex and Race Composition ............................. Age Sizructure ........................................ S0r.i . oecc!nomj. c and Gengrapl-~ic Representatj. on .......... Data Summary ... Skel eta1 Elelite!-its ..................... Data Summary -. 5itatur.e and Weight .................... Data Summary - Skeletal Age Changes .................. Mot:lern Fisr-ensic Cases: Basic Craniometric Data ....... Compari. son ta Anatomical Cal lections ................. Cr-aniametri c Vari ati nri Among Groups .................. Race Disczri mination .................................. Sex Discriminatian .................................... Compar-isan to anatomical col lections ........... Se:.r riiscri minants Basecl or) the Forensic Sample ....... 5tatt.w-e Estimation ................................... SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................ REFERENCES CITED ....................................... &pPEp.!D XC'ES PAGE fi . FZ[:?REf.1SI I= REf:OF:D I NG FORM . 87 B. INDEX OF VARIABLES AND VARIABLE CATEGOHIES,DATA-BASE FILES AND SCREEN FCIRMAT'S, BY VARIABLE LABEL ........ 93 F FIL-ES AND SCREEN FUKMATS, BY VARIABLE NAME ........- 106 LIST OF TABLES 1. Skeletal col lectians upon which forensic anthropulogy research is based ..................... 4 -Data -base + i i es ~nda~snri af =~r=? f tx=m+=tr - - - .. - List of variables and variable categories comprising the identifiratiun file IIDDATAl.dbf1 .............. List of vari. abl es and vari abl,e categories comprising the d(:xumentation f i l e (IDDATA2. dbf 1 ................ L..i st r:,+ vari abl es arici vari. abl e cat,egorj. es ccrmpr i si ng the irtvntory f i Xe f lD1PATA::l;. c:lbf 1 ................... Lj. st 3.T: va~~iableci anci varj. attl e c:ategnri es cnmpri si ng thc skeletal age +il.e IIDDA?-A4.db+) ................ L..i.st: a+ \,~ariabl.esand variab1.e categories cornprisinq the crar~ial data f i. l e IIDf:)ATAS. dbf 1 ................ L..i 5:.t. a+ var..i. abl.es arid var.i. abf. e categories comprising the postcrani al data f i l e I IDDATA&. dbf ) ............ List 3.f ? abc::!-,star)/ arjc:f research call ecti an5 and the ~+~urnberof data recards atjtairted far the data bank frum each .......................................... Sex and ethnic cornpasition of data bani: sample ..... Demographi. c age st.ri.\ctt..!re by se;.: for cases nf identification status I artcl II ..................... Demagraphic age structure by reported age at death .............................................. Demugraphic c,truct.Llre by race for cases of identification stati.ts I and 11 ..................... Geagraphic distributiun of forensic cases known for sex and race, within the U.S. ...................... Geographic distribution af forensic cases 1::nown for sex and race, outside the U.S. ..................... Ilata s~tmmary-. crania anti pnstcranj.a ............... Data summary - pnstcrani a1 elements ................ Eats sc.rmmary -- stati.!re ancl weight for cases of iden%ification status I and I1 ..................... 4. Eats summary - skeletal age observations for the total forensic data bank sample .................... 42 :CI .- M~?ansand standard devi ati ans af crania1 measurements: Black and White males ................ 44 Means and standard devi ati on5 of crania1 measurements: Black and White females .............. Means and standard deviations of cranial meas~~rernents:Amer i ndi an and Hispanic ma1es ........ t-leans and s?:ai-tdarci devi ati uns a+ crani a1 meast.tv.ernen?:. Amel-.i ndi. an artd tl3. spani c +erfiales ...... f:ornparisan c~f: for-erttsic: crania to Gi.les and Elli.ot's Terry/"i"udd sample:: Whi tes and El acks ............... Coinpat-.ison c~fforensic crania to a T.ei-ry col lection sample: Whites and Blacks .......................... Sex cl.assi f i cati an of qarensic sample on Gi 1e5 and El 1 i. at '5 discriminanl: f uncti. ons ..................... C., -" .L f . Maha1 al-:obi s distances amonq grot-tps. Ma1 es are above the diaqcjnal , femal.es tnel aw ........................ Cc~rr-elalioi-ls c3f original variables with canonical cl:i..;c::iP~imi,nan2: sc:are~................................ Rest-tl. tzi of bacl.::ward el irnination for Bl acl.; and White males ........................................ ........ Rest.tl.t:,s af backward el inlit-lation for Black: and White fercales ............................................ ECf iciency a+ Elac:k-White cranial discriminant funr:tions fur full and reduced models .............. Discriminant caeff icients, group means and sectiovring points for Black-Whi te discrimination ... Cl assi f i ca%ian functions for ma1es of four groups . C1,assif icatiun matrix o+ four male groups .......... Summary of backward el iminat ion statistics for Whites (N=98 nrales and 8t:) females) ................. Sex diccriminatary power of red\-{red model .......... -..- I. Se:.:cjiscriminant +or- Whites. Crania with scores abave the sectinninq point are classed as males, below as females ................................... 67 7:-8 F'ostcrani a]. means arlri standard devi aticsns: Bl ark::% . 69 39. Postcrani a1 means and standard deviations: Whites . 7r:) 40. Camparisan o+ means 05 forensic and anatomical col l ecti ons: Whites and El acks ..................... 71 41. SF:.: dj.~;crinrinanIzsderiveci +ram the Terrry collection appl !i PC:/ tc~,Forensic sanlple ................... ... ... 74 4.,,, .C,.... !..! ,.,-..-. :;lr=:rry oi stepc.,tise el. i minat j. c~ri of vari ab1ec.i for* ..!r i and nat .f em:. , tit:! a humerus far se:.: discr i mi i on: Wt-i:i.te.; .,,...,,.,................................,.,.,, 7 t, 43. Sew trJiscrj.m.i.nai.:ir!g e+.Ficiency of humerus, frrour and t. j. t:, i, a: Wh i t e!s ......................................... 7 7 44, Pleai.i.;, starrdar-d devi ati nnci ancl sectioning points Sor se:.r discrin!ir!ants ..................................