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Forensic Sciences
Special Issues
Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation
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Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation

A special issue of Forensic Sciences (ISSN 2673-6756).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 16180

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Radoslav Beňuš

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovak
Interests: forensic anthropology; paleopathology; bioarchaeology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zuzana Obertová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Forensic Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia
Interests: forensic anthropology; trauma analysis; identification; facial image comparison
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to invite you to participate in this Special Issue on “Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation”. Forensic anthropology is currently more than just an interdisciplinary science situated between forensic medicine and anthropology; it successfully addresses specific issues using the knowledge of human variability (e.g., reconstruction of height and weight; facial approximation and its ethnic specifics; estimation of biological age; forensic podiatry; and analysis of fingerprints, palm prints, lip prints, ear prints, and more). The aim of this Special Issue is to focus on just this area of forensic anthropology, but we also welcome interdisciplinary studies or studies dedicated to human variability applicable in forensic anthropology. I look forward to seeing how together we can contribute to this important and fascinating scientific discourse.

Dr. Radoslav Beňuš
Dr. Zuzana Obertová
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forensic Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • facial approximation
  • estimation of biological age
  • forensic podiatry
  • fingerprints and palm prints
  • cheiloscopy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 3592 KB  
Article
Growth and Development of the Cranial Complex and Its Implications for Sex Estimation
by Kyra E. Stull, Christopher A. Wolfe, Briana T. New, Louise K. Corron and Kate Spradley
Forensic Sci. 2025, 5(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5030043 - 10 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The incorporation of the human growth and development literature, an ontogenetic framework, a large virtual sample of individuals across the entire growth period, and a contemporary sample of adult individuals provides a unique opportunity to explore the cranial complex across the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The incorporation of the human growth and development literature, an ontogenetic framework, a large virtual sample of individuals across the entire growth period, and a contemporary sample of adult individuals provides a unique opportunity to explore the cranial complex across the entire life cycle. This study (1) assesses cranial variation in postnatal ontogeny to determine the life history stage during which subadult crania can reach comparable levels of phenotypic expression to adult crania and (2) exposes when biological sex can be estimated using craniometric data from immature individuals with accuracy levels comparable to adults. Methods: Contemporary individuals between birth and 102 years of age from one virtual (Subadult Virtual Anthropology Database; SVAD) and one skeletal (Forensic Data Bank; FDB) collection were used in the analyses (n = 2152). Results: Discriminant analysis reveals a clear ontogenetic trajectory across the life history stages, with adolescents, SVAD adults, and FDB adults exhibiting similar cranial dimensions. The analysis also revealed a shift from the growth energetic period into the reproductive energetic period during adolescence. This transition is reflected in the divergence of male and female craniometrics in adolescence, which is also when sex estimation accuracy is comparable to SVAD and FDB adults. Conclusions: The current study argues that skeletal and/or dental maturity is not necessary to estimate sex using the cranium and urges the field to reconsider methodological divisions between subadults and adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation)
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36 pages, 11174 KB  
Article
Exploring Cranial Growth Patterns from Birth to Adulthood for Forensic Research and Practice
by Briana T. New, Kyra E. Stull, Louise K. Corron and Christopher A. Wolfe
Forensic Sci. 2025, 5(3), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5030032 - 26 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2887
Abstract
Although cranial growth has been extensively explored, forensic and biological anthropology lack a formal incorporation of how cranial growth processes impact the adult phenotype and downstream biological profile estimations. Objectives: This research uses an ontogenetic framework to identify when interlandmark distances (ILDs) stabilize [...] Read more.
Although cranial growth has been extensively explored, forensic and biological anthropology lack a formal incorporation of how cranial growth processes impact the adult phenotype and downstream biological profile estimations. Objectives: This research uses an ontogenetic framework to identify when interlandmark distances (ILDs) stabilize during growth to reach adult levels of variation and to evaluate patterns of cranial sexual size dimorphism. Methods: Multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) were conducted on standardized cranial ILDs for 595 individuals from the Subadult Virtual Anthropology Database (SVAD) and the Forensic Data Bank (FDB) aged between birth and 25 years. Cross-Validated R-squared (CVRSq) values evaluated ILD variation explained by age while knot placements identified meaningful changes in ILD growth trajectories. Results: Results reveal the ages at which males and females reach craniometric maturity across splanchnocranium, neurocranium, basicranium and cross-regional ILDs. Changes in growth patterns observed here largely align with growth milestones of integrated soft tissue and skeletal structures as well as developmental milestones like puberty. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the variability in growth by sex and cranial region and move forensic anthropologists towards recognizing cranial growth as a mosaic, continuous process with overlap between subadults and adults rather than consistently approaching subadult and adult research separately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation)
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17 pages, 1010 KB  
Article
Analysis of Footstep/Stride Length from Gait Patterns of Dynamic Footprints as a Parameter for Biological Profiling—A Preliminary Study
by Petra Švábová, Darina Falbová, Zuzana Kozáková, Mária Chovancová, Lenka Vorobeľová and Radoslav Beňuš
Forensic Sci. 2025, 5(3), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5030029 - 9 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2287
Abstract
In forensic sciences, particularly in forensic anthropology and podiatry, assessing a person’s stature helps create a biological profile that allows for more accurate identification. Background/Objectives: When considering dynamic footprints as part of the gait pattern, certain parameters such as stride length, step length, [...] Read more.
In forensic sciences, particularly in forensic anthropology and podiatry, assessing a person’s stature helps create a biological profile that allows for more accurate identification. Background/Objectives: When considering dynamic footprints as part of the gait pattern, certain parameters such as stride length, step length, gait width, and gait angle can be evaluated in relation to stature. The aim of this study was to assess footstep and stride length from the gait of dynamic footprints and determine if they correlate with stature and could be useful for biological profiling. Methods: Gait patterns from dynamic footprints and stature were determined in 114 females and 104 males aged 18 to 33 years. Results: All participants took the first step with their preferred foot, 56% with the right foot. Regarding step sequence, there were non-significant differences between the 4th and 5th footsteps in both sexes. Sex differences were significant in four of seven footsteps. Only a few steps significantly correlated in sequence with stature, and even these had low correlation coefficients (r = 0.295). In females, positive values of mean differences between actual and estimated stature predictions indicate that the equations tend to overestimate, whereas in a mixed sex group, most negative values of mean differences indicate underestimation. Conclusions: Given the weak correlations observed, footstep and stride length should not be considered reliable indicators for forensic stature estimation. These parameters are more suitable for biomechanical and anthropological research, while forensic applications should be considered supplementary and interpreted with caution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation)
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22 pages, 595 KB  
Article
Modern vs. Pre-Hispanic Skeletal Variation: A Non-Metric Study of the Calcaneus in the Canary Islands
by Samuel James Cockerill, Emilio González-Reimers and Matilde Arnay-De-La-Rosa
Forensic Sci. 2025, 5(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5020025 - 4 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1064
Abstract
The calcaneus is very useful in archaeological contexts where human remains may be commingled. When DNA is impossible and the context is commingled, non-metric traits of the calcaneus may be used to identify phenotypical differences between human remains. Background/Objectives: We compared the [...] Read more.
The calcaneus is very useful in archaeological contexts where human remains may be commingled. When DNA is impossible and the context is commingled, non-metric traits of the calcaneus may be used to identify phenotypical differences between human remains. Background/Objectives: We compared the prevalence of several calcaneal non-metric traits of pre-Hispanic and modern inhabitants of the Canary islands in order to (1) test the skeletal variation between pre-Hispanic and modern (17–18th century) Canarian samples and (2) gather information on biological and lifestyle differences between the samples using the calcaneal bone. Methods: We used a total of 364 calcanei (164 modern Canarian [72 left and 92 right] and 200 pre-Hispanic Canarian [92 left and 108 right] calcanei) and available non-metric traits to show differences between modern and pre-Hispanic Canarian population samples. Results: Our results highlight that some particular activity traits were common among the pre-Hispanic sample, while other traits, such as articular facet type Ib and the medial root of the inferior extensor retinaculum, show similar frequencies between pre-Hispanic and modern samples, which may indicate a genetic proponent influencing these similarities. Conclusions: Our results suggest that at least two traits, facet type Ib and the medial root of the inferior extensor retinaculum, may be influenced by genetics due to the persistence in modern samples despite the change of lifestyle between pre-Hispanic and modern Canarians. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation)
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16 pages, 4633 KB  
Article
Human Identification in Mass Disasters: Analyzing Complex Tattoos in the Brumadinho Tragedy
by Alexandre Neves Furtado, Alexander Santos Dionísio, Ricardo Moreira Araújo and Yara Vieira Lemos
Forensic Sci. 2024, 4(4), 686-701; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4040048 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 3342
Abstract
Background: The identification of victims in mass disasters is a challenging task, particularly when forensic teams must address fragmented human remains. Objectives: This article reports two necropsy cases from the 2019 collapse of the Brumadinho mine tailing dam, the largest humanitarian disaster in [...] Read more.
Background: The identification of victims in mass disasters is a challenging task, particularly when forensic teams must address fragmented human remains. Objectives: This article reports two necropsy cases from the 2019 collapse of the Brumadinho mine tailing dam, the largest humanitarian disaster in Brazilian history. Results: In both cases, identification was achieved through comparative anthropological analysis of complex tattoos. Positive identification was based on the presence of multiple coincident points between postmortem (PM) and antemortem (AM) photographic records of the tattoo designs, along with the absence of exclusionary elements. Conclusion: The authors propose that the comparative analysis of PM and AM tattoos should be more widely adopted as a low-cost, rapid identification method, particularly in complex forensic scenarios such as mass disasters and other challenging cases in the medical and forensic anthropology context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation)
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Review

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16 pages, 4989 KB  
Review
The Use of Paranasal Sinuses in Human Identification: Useful Concepts for Forensic Practitioners
by Joe Adserias-Garriga, Hannah Skropits and Brailey Moeder
Forensic Sci. 2025, 5(3), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5030035 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 3318
Abstract
Background: Positive identification is at the forefront of tasks for forensic practitioners when a set of remains is discovered. Standard means of identification include fingerprints, dental, and DNA analyses; however, additional methods are utilized by forensic practitioners to identify remains when these primary [...] Read more.
Background: Positive identification is at the forefront of tasks for forensic practitioners when a set of remains is discovered. Standard means of identification include fingerprints, dental, and DNA analyses; however, additional methods are utilized by forensic practitioners to identify remains when these primary methods of identification are not applicable. Comparative radiography has become a frequently employed approach for positive identification, specifically focused on individualizing characteristics evident in human skeletal variation. Regions that display wide ranges of morphological variation within the human skeleton include the cranium as well as the thorax. With regard to the cranium specifically, paranasal sinuses have been recognized as unique features and are valuable for identification purposes. Objectives: This paper explores the basic information of the anatomy and development, range of variation, and the importance of paranasal sinuses in forensic contexts. Results: This article discusses how practitioners can best use the morphological information contained in the paranasal sinuses and how to compare the antemortem and postmortem datasets involving different imaging modalities for positive identification purposes, in order to provide practical concepts that may assist in cases where paranasal sinuses may be used for forensic human identification. Conclusions: Understanding the development of paranasal sinuses, the imaging techniques applied for their visualization, as well as the principles of identification, is key to conducting proper antemortem vs. postmortem comparisons and effectively utilizing paranasal sinuses in forensic identification contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Anthropology and Human Biological Variation)
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