Ancestry Estimation Using Macromorphoscopic Traits

Anthropologists have a lengthy history using cranial nonmetric traits to assess biological distances between populations. These concepts were adopted by forensic anthropologists to estimate ancestry at the individual level using population-based human variation. However, this method of estimation must adhere to the Daubert guidelines to be applied in the modern court system. To that end, a set of cranial macromorphoscopic traits have been proffered to generate a methodological approach to the estimation of ancestry that can be empirically tested and verified. Additionally, various statistical frameworks, parametric and nonparametric, have been employed to calculate error rates and provide probabilistic statements of the strength of these estimations. Recent studies have further advanced the reliability and validity of macromorphoscopic trait analysis through reference datasets, validation studies, and demonstrable exploration of the complex population histories impacting human variation between and within populations worldwide.