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Introducing Human Mandible Identification [(hu)MANid]: A Free, Web-Based GUI to Classify Human Mandibles.
Gregory E Berg1, Michael W Kenyhercz1,2
1Central Identification Laboratory, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, 590 Moffet Street, JBPHH, HI.
Forensic anthropologists can now classify human mandibles using the free (hu)MANid web application. Mixture discriminant analysis within the tool improved classification accuracy by 9.3% compared to linear discriminant analysis.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Bioinformatics
- Statistical Analysis
Background:
- Statistical programs enhance forensic anthropology casework with complex analytics.
- Reproducibility and error measures in statistical outputs strengthen forensic conclusions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce (hu)MANid, a free, web-based application for classifying human mandibles.
- Utilize linear and mixture discriminant function analyses for classification into global or temporal groups.
Main Methods:
- Developed and discussed the mechanics, development, and usage of the (hu)MANid application.
- Compared (hu)MANid's model performance and classification accuracy against other software.
- Tested ten mandibles using both linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and mixture discriminant analysis (MDA).
Main Results:
- Identical total correct classifications were observed between tested programs.
- Mixture discriminant analysis (MDA) demonstrated a 9.3% average improvement in classification.
- MDA correctly identified three additional mandibles compared to LDA.
Conclusions:
- The (hu)MANid application is a valuable tool for the anthropological community.
- Mixture discriminant analysis offers enhanced classification accuracy for human mandible analysis.
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