Population affinity estimation of an unidentified individual using nonmetric dental traits: a case report

Due to their strong correlation to heredity, nonmetric dental traits are deemed useful to estimate an individual's population affinity. This case report demonstrates the use of the rASUDAS2 application for estimating a decedent's population affinity when other primary identification methods proved insufficient. Initial examinations showed that the decedent (referred to as KF230565 or Mr X) was a 42-year-old male whose death was caused by non-homicidal drowning. Due to slight deviations from the typical Western Indonesian craniofacial characteristics, his nonmetric dental traits were graded to confirm his population affinity. After grading the dental traits according to the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS), the data were entered into the rASUDAS2 software. Based on the analysis, the decedent was estimated to be of Western Eurasian (46.24%) or Southeast Asian (20.58%) affinity. This information was then passed to forensic artists and law enforcement, and a facial approximation sketch was constructed using the appropriate population-specific soft tissue thickness dataset. The sketches were then disseminated to the public to aid recognition. After receiving additional reports from the public, positive identification of the decedent was confirmed through primary identifiers. This report encourages the use of multidisciplinary methods in forensic identification, as well as further studies on dental morphology.