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•The discovery of human remains dating back to 20th century conflicts is a common phenomenon in Italy.•Forensic Anthropology, in combination with other disciplines can be employed to deal with these remains.•Italian scenario in terms of legislation, scientific procedures and ethical aspects are described. Italy was hit hard by the World Wars, still today the discovery of human remains dating back to 20th century is a common phenomenon, in particular on Alpine glaciers, due to climate changes. The authors will describe the Italian scenario in terms of legislation, scientific procedures and related disciplines involved, then the difficulties in the identification of human remains of soldiers, but also potential issues related to uncontrolled “scavenging” activities and consequent ethical aspects. The interdisciplinarity, used as systematic approach to deal with complex cases, allowed the presumptive identification of a WWI soldier recovered after one century from the glaciers of the Adamello mountain, as described. Putting aside the national perspective, the authors endorse and encourage the establishment of an international working group in order to share common issues, to exchange experience and to build global best-practices.

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Codes of Ethics and Conduct in the Practice of Forensic Anthropology Codes of Ethics and Conduct in Research Disciplinary Actions Final Considerations References

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Error Reliability Validity Stupidity Two Cautionary Tales Conclusions References

Dental measurements have been proposed as parameters for stature estimation for at least 85 years. The scientific literature on the topic, however, is controversial regarding the performance of the method. This systematic literature review of observational cross-sectional studies aimed to compile evidence to support decisions in the forensic practice regarding the use of dental measurements for stature estimation. Embase, LILACS, MedLine (via PubMed), SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science, DansEasy and Open Access Thesis and Dissertations (OATD) were searched. Data regarding the rate of correct stature classifications were extracted. A meta-analysis with a Random Intercept Logistic Regression model and a Logit Transformation was conducted. The search led to 10.803 entries, out of which 15 were considered eligible (n = 1486 individuals). The studies were published between 1990 and 2020 and were authored by South American (n = 7) and Asian (n = 8) research teams. Dental measurements were predominantly (93.34 %) performed on dental casts or via intraoral inspection. The overall rate of correct classifications based on stature was 68 %. Excluding outliers, the overall accuracy of the method decreased to 64 % (95 %CI: 54–73 %). Significant heterogeneity was detected (I² = 72.4 %, τ2 = 0.24, H = 1.91, p < 0.001). Egger's test (p = 0.94) and the funnel plot did not reveal publication bias. Dental measurements are not reliable for stature estimation in the forensic field. •The search found 10.803 entries out of eight databases.•Fifteen studies were eligible, combining 1486 individuals.•The overall rate of correct stature classifications was 64 % (95 %CI: 54–73 %).•High heterogeneity was detected (I² = 72.4 %, τ2 = 0.24, H = 1.91, p < 0.001).•Egger's test (p = 0.94) and the funnel plot did not reveal publication bias.

Analysis of how papers and databases are handled and interpreted shows that geneticists in Europe must stamp out unethical research practices at home, not just abroad. Analysis of how papers and databases are handled and interpreted shows that geneticists in Europe must stamp out unethical research practices at home, not just abroad.

Experimental taphonomy and neotaphonomic monitoring have become two relevant tools in interpreting modifications, and most especially in forensic investigations. Research facilities, where human decomposition experiments are carried out under controlled situations, provide a better understanding of the tapho–forensic history of cadaveric remains under specific environments and in different situations or even climates. There are, however, limitations of time to monitoring, such as space for experimentation and ethics, that do not always allow to carry out these types of investigations. The study presented here investigates the early post mortem modifications of the cadaveric state using animal models (pig autopods) simulating different forensic scenarios in accelerated time, under controlled climatic parameters, in different environmental contexts. This study was carried out under semi-arid conditions programmed in a climatic chamber. The aim of this study is to open a new range of knowledge in experimental taphonomy. As results of this experiment, different types of cadaveric states (such as total skeletonization, skeletonization with dry putrid matter, saponification and mummification) were obtained related to the type of contexts in which animal models were deposited (submerged or buried in wet or dry sediment). •Mummification and saponification have been reproduced in the laboratory.•Highly controlled conditions of climatic chamber improve understanding of decay.•The depositional context is decisive for the type of cadaveric state.•Taphonomic laboratory has proven to be very useful for forensic cases.

Investigation of the biological sex of human remains is a crucial aspect of physical anthropology. However, due to varying states of skeletal preservation, multiple approaches and structures of interest need to be explored. This research aims to investigate the potential use of distances between bifrontal breadth (FMB), infraorbital foramina distance (IOD), nasal breadth (NLB), inter-canine width (ICD), and distance between mental foramina (MFD) for combined sex prediction through traditional statistical methods and through open-access machine-learning tools. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee, and out of 100 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, 54 individuals were selected with all the points visible. Ten extra exams were chosen to test the predictors developed from the learning sample. Descriptive analysis of measurements, standard deviation, and standard error were obtained. T-student and Mann–Whitney tests were utilized to assess the sex differences within the variables. A logistic regression equation was developed and tested for the investigation of the biological sex as well as decision trees, random forest, and artificial neural networks machine-learning models. The results indicate a strong correlation between the measurements and the sex of individuals. When combined, the measurements were able to predict sex using a regression formula or machine learning based models which can be exported and added to software or webpages. Considering the methods, the estimations showed an accuracy rate superior to 80% for males and 82% for females. All skulls in the test sample were accurately predicted by both statistical and machine-learning models. This exploratory study successfully established a correlation between facial measurements and the sex of individuals, validating the prediction potential of machine learning, augmenting the investigative tools available to experts with a high differentiation potential.

Sex estimation represents a fundamental step of human identification in forensic anthropology, archaeology, and forensic medicine. Lateral cephalograms capture craniofacial morphology that is useful for sex estimation. This study developed a hybrid convolutional neural network (CNN) that combines supervised DenseNet169 and unsupervised EfficientNetB3 with a random forest classifier for automate sex estimation from lateral cephalograms. The dataset comprised 150 cephalograms divided into training (69.33%), validation (20%), and testing (10.67%) subsets. DenseNet169 was trained on annotated images to detect five craniofacial landmarks: nasion (N), sella (S), glabella (G), basion (Ba), and menton (M), and compute linear and triangulation angles-based measurements for sex estimation. EfficientNetB3 integrated with a random forest classifier was trained on unannotated images. The final predictions were determined by majority voting among linear and triangulation angles measurements from DenseNet169 and image-based classification from EfficientNetB3. DenseNet169 achieved 100% accuracy with an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC) of 0.935 for linear measurements and 99.69% accuracy (AUC 0.891) for triangulation angles measurements, while EfficientNetB3 achieved 80.63% accuracy (AUC 0.826). The hybrid multimodel CNN demonstrated enhanced robustness, achieving 99.69% accuracy (AUC 0.978) and 97.83% accuracy (AUC 0.947) on external data. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed hybrid framework for automated sex estimation using lateral cephalograms.

The importance of reference osteological collections is unquestionable. However, the development of methodologies is more reliable the closer the collection is socioeconomically, demographically, and genetically to the population under study. The purpose of this study is to characterize and contextualize a new Portuguese reference collection. The collection of identified skeletons from the University of Évora comprises 201 adults of both sexes and seven non-adults, deceased between 1870 and 1993 and born between 1790 and 1969. It consists almost exclusively of individuals who were born and died in inland Alentejo, being the only Portuguese collection with this characteristic. The collection was built following all current legal and ethical obligations. Due to its characteristics, the collection constitutes a fundamental tool for forensic and bioarchaeological research in the inland regions of Portugal. In addition to the possibility offered to develop and validate methodologies in both sciences, the available complete hospital archives for research make this collection unique for health studies before, during, and after the epidemiological transition.

•This commentary provides a brief overview of skeletal collections around the world.•The importance of these collections helps us better understand the human condition.•Loss of these skeletal collections would be tragic to science and humankind. The thesis of this brief exposition is the absolute and immediate necessity of preserving existing osteological collections. Once lost, they can never be replaced. They are priceless, historically and culturally. Each collection is unique, in content and in scientific value. No one collection is complete, or replicates any other. These collections are separated by space and by time, by geography and by epoch. They preserve our past, as well as our understanding of human variation. They help us to better understand the human condition and contribute to the advancement of many disciplines including: anthropology, medicine, surgery, anatomy, history, and, undeniably, forensic anthropology. In spite of their uniqueness, all osteological collections face similar challenges: cultural norms and sensitivities, funding, space limitations, and competing priorities. This article provides a succinct overview of several private and public collections around the world, the challenges of preservation, and the benefits of their salvation. The skeletal collections described here are but a sample of what is, and of what may be lost. Anything more would require a book. Anything less would be an irreplaceable and tragic loss.