Database for Forensic Anthropology in the United States, 1962-1991

This project was undertaken to establish a computerized
skeletal database composed of recent forensic cases to represent the
present ethnic diversity and demographic structure of the United
States population. The intent was to accumulate a forensic skeletal
sample large and diverse enough to reflect different socioeconomic
groups of the general population from different geographical regions
of the country in order to enable researchers to revise the standards
being used for forensic skeletal identification. The database is
composed of eight data files, comprising four categories. The primary
"biographical" or "identification" files (Part 1, Demographic
Data, and Part 2, Geographic and Death Data) comprise the first
category of information and pertain to the positive identification of
each of the 1,514 data records in the database. Information in Part 1
includes sex, ethnic group affiliation, birth date, age at death,
height (living and cadaver), and weight (living and
cadaver). Variables in Part 2 pertain to the nature of the remains,
means and sources of identification, city and state/country born,
occupation, date missing/last seen, date of discovery, date of death,
time since death, cause of death, manner of death, deposit/exposure of
body, area found, city, county, and state/country found, handedness,
and blood type. The Medical History File (Part 3) represents the
second category of information and contains data on the documented
medical history of the individual. Variables in Part 3 include general
comments on medical history as well as comments on congenital
malformations, dental notes, bone lesions, perimortem trauma, and
other comments. The third category consists of an inventory file (Part
4, Skeletal Inventory Data) in which data pertaining to the specific
contents of the database are maintained. This includes the inventory
of skeletal material by element and side (left and right), indicating
the condition of the bone as either partial or complete. The variables
in Part 4 provide a skeletal inventory of the cranium, mandible,
dentition, and postcranium elements and identify the element as
complete, fragmentary, or absent. If absent, four categories record
why it is missing. The last part of the database is composed of three
skeletal data files, covering quantitative observations of age-related
changes in the skeleton (Part 5), cranial measurements (Part 6), and
postcranial measurements (Part 7). Variables in Part 5 provide
assessments of epiphyseal closure and cranial suture closure (left and
right), rib end changes (left and right), Todd Pubic Symphysis,
Suchey-Brooks Pubic Symphysis, McKern & Steward--Phases I, II, and
III, Gilbert & McKern--Phases I, II, and III, auricular surface, and
dorsal pubic pitting (all for left and right). Variables in Part 6
include cranial measurements (length, breadth, height) and mandibular
measurements (height, thickness, diameter, breadth, length, and angle)
of various skeletal elements. Part 7 provides postcranial measurements
(length, diameter, breadth, circumference, and left and right, where
appropriate) of the clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, scarum,
innominate, femur, tibia, fibula, and calcaneus. A small file of noted
problems for a few cases is also included (Part 8).

Tags: autopsy, cultural-diversity, databases, demographic-characteristics, ethnicity, forensic-sciences, information-systems, medical-history, physical-characteristics, population-characteristics
Organization: Department of Justice