Identification of fragmented bones based on anthropological and DNA analyses: case report

This report describes a forensic case work where both the anthropological analyses and the DNA analysis contributed to establish a link between the fragmented bones and a victim. A total of 54 bone fragments were excavated from a crime scene. The gender and stature of the bone fragments were estimated anthropometrically from the radius discovered. Two out of 54 fragments were presumed to be the parts of swine scapula from their gross morphology, and were supposed to have been buried for a longer period than the human bones from their surface conditions. These findings were ensured by the histological examination and UV illumination in the compact bones. A nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region in the radius was identical to that of a victim's sister. By this case work, the importance of combined activity in forensic biology was confirmed.