Berg G.E., Ta'ala S.C. Biological Affinity in Forensic Identification of Human Skeletal Remains: Beyond Black and White

CRC Press, 2015. — 318 p. — ISBN 9780367778460.Ancestry determination in the identification of unknown remains can be a challenge for forensic scientists and anthropologists, especially when the remains available for testing are limited. There are various techniques for the assessment of ancestry, ranging from traditional to new microbiological and computer-assisted methods. Biological Affinity in Forensic Identification of Human Skeletal Remains: Beyond Black and White presents a range of tools that can be used to identify the probable socio-cultural "race" category of unknown human remains. Gathering insight from those who have made recent improvements and scientific advances in the field, the book begins with the historical foundations of the concept of biological affinity and the need for increased research into methods for determining ancestry of skeletal remains. No single method or technique is adequate in the assessment of ancestry. For accurate determinations, the use of traditional and new techniques combined yields better results. This book demonstrates the large repertoire of tools available to those tasked with these challenging determinations.A Brief History of the Race Concept in Physical Anthropology
Biological Affinity in Medicolegal, Public, and Anthropological Contexts
Cranial Morphoscopic Traits and the Assessment of American Black, American White, and Hispanic Ancestry
Biological Affinity and Sex from the Mandible Utilizing Multiple World Populations
Metric Ancestry Estimation from the Postcranial Skeleton
The Sagittal Suture as an Indicator of Race and Sex
Beyond the Cranium: Ancestry Estimation from the Lower Limb
Population Affinities of Hispanic Crania: Implications for Forensic Identification
Dental Nonmetric Variation around the World: Using Key Traits in Populations to Estimate Ancestry in Individuals
Dental Morphological Estimation of Ancestry in Forensic Contexts
Size Matters: Discrimination between American Blacks and Whites, Males and Females, Using Tooth Crown Dimensions
Linking Identity with Landscape: Osteological and Sr–Pb Isotopic Methods for Biogeoreference
The Use of DNA in the Identification of Degraded Human Skeletal Remains: A Basic Primer
Identification of Deceased Unauthorized Border Crossers in the United States
Sequence, Haplotype, and Ancestry: Using the Mitochondrial DNA Hypervariable Region to Predict Forensic “Race”