Demographic Change and Forensic Identification: Problems in Metric Identification of Hispanic Skeletons

• NCJ Number: 222142
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 53 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 21-28
• Author(s): M. Katherine Spradley Ph.D.; Richard L. Jantz Ph.D.; Alan Robinson M.Sc.; Fredy Peccerelli B.S.
• Date Published: January 2008
• Length: 8 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Law Enforcement Innovation Ctr of Tennessee
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using metric data from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank (FDB), this paper explores several issues faced by U.S. forensic anthropologists when confronted with Hispanic remains, since much of the identification criteria for biological profiles in the United States are based on American Black and White individuals from anatomical collections.

Abstract

The U.S. population structure is currently in a state of flux, with one of the most profound changes being the increasing number of people referred to as Hispanic. This paper uses the socially constructed term "Hispanic" to refer to individuals of Spanish-speaking origin. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than one in eight people are of Hispanic origin; in forensic anthropology, however, only a few identification criteria are based on Hispanic samples. Using the available Hispanic data, this paper examines the problems associated with applying American White criteria to sex, stature, and ancestry estimation for Hispanic individuals. The study found that when faced with the remains of FDB Hispanics, if the pelvis was not available, the accuracy of metric sex determination declined considerably. Both visual and metric sex estimation of the skull may also be misleading for southwest Hispanic crania, because they tend to be smaller and more slender than other groups; however, if ancestry can be assessed as Hispanic, sex may become more accurate if population-specific sex estimates are derived. Plots of the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data illustrate the need for population-specific stature formulas for Hispanics from different geographic areas. Methods and reference samples are the key when keeping up with America's changing demographics for purposes of skeletal identification. Forensic anthropologists are only just beginning to understand the complexity and biological variation among southwest Hispanics and other Hispanic groups. 6 tables, 6 figures, and 22 references