U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 NIJ and Texas State University-Improving Identification of Mexican Hispanic Remains: New Information Helps Forensic Anthropologists Assess Mexican Hispanic Ancestry and Sex
NCJ Number
              248936

Date Published

2015
Length
              2 pages
Annotation
              This brief report describes the development and benefits of the first accurate identification criteria for the remains of Mexican Hispanics, as well as the development of a database of skeletal information on Mexican Hispanics, along with classification functions for population-specific sex estimates that are applicable to the majority of Mexican Hispanics within the United States.
Abstract
              Prior to this project, very little had been done in developing the accurate assessment of the sex and ancestry of Mexican Hispanic individuals. Dr. Kate Spradley, a biological anthropologist at Texas State University-San Marcos, became aware of this issue while earning her PhD in anthropology at the University of Tennessee. While involved in a lab assignment to identify skeletal remains, she recognized that some of the bones were not those of American White or American Black individuals and supposed that they were probably Mexican Hispanic; however, there were too few criteria available for her to make a scientifically accurate identification. After becoming employed at Texas State University- San Marcos, she received the grant award from the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for the development of such criteria. Due to her work, ancestry classification statistics for Mexican Hispanic individuals have risen from 70-percent accuracy to 85 percent. The development of the identification criteria and the database of skeletal information has made it easier for forensic anthropologists to identify the remains of Mexican Hispanic individuals. Specifically, this has facilitated the identification of deceased, undocumented border-crossers.
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2008-DN-BX-K464


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Research (Applied/Empirical)
                                Report (Study/Research)
                                Report (Grant Sponsored)


  
  
        
  Award
        Project IDENTIFICATION: Developing Accurate Identification Criteria for Hispanic Individuals
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2015
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF
                  HTML

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Bone analysis
        Medicolegal death investigations
        DNA typing
        Forensic sciences
        Hispanic



  
Similar Publications
        
                      The Over-citation of Daubert in Forensic Anthropology
                  Reversible and irreversible protein glutathionylation: biological and clinical aspects
                  Application of Snyder-Dolan classification scheme to the selection of "orthogonal" columns for fast screening of illicit drugs and impurity profiling of pharmaceuticals - I. Isocratic elution
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov