[Computer analysis of face and skull size by "quantitative verbal portrait" method]

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Forensic Science
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Accurate identification of human remains is crucial in forensic investigations.
• Comparing photographic evidence with skeletal remains presents unique challenges.
• Existing methods may lack quantitative rigor for robust comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a "quantitative verbal portrait" method for comparing facial photographs and skull morphology.
• To establish a systematic approach for evaluating the degree of identity between live subjects and skeletal remains.
• To create a tool for forensic analysis in missing persons cases and unidentified corpses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a database of 90 cases with expert-evaluated photocompatibility and proven identity.
• Investigated four groups of facial and skull measurements: DX, DY (distances between points), and RX, RY (ratios of distances).
• Developed a scoring system for each group of signs to quantitatively assess similarities and differences.

Main Results:

• The "quantitative verbal portrait" method provides a systematic scheme for comparing live human photographs with skull data.
• The method allows for the exclusion of identity based on significant size discrepancies (e.g., large skull vs. small face).
• Quantitative scores for each sign group facilitate comparative analysis for detecting similarities.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a novel, quantitative approach to facial and skull comparison in forensic contexts.
• This technique can enhance the analysis of portrait databases and unidentified skeletal remains.
• The quantitative verbal portrait method has potential applications in identifying lost subjects and unidentified corpses.