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The utility of three-dimensional models of paranasal sinuses to establish age, sex, and ancestry across three modern populations: A preliminary study

Robles, Madeline; Rando, Carolyn; Morgan, Ruth M; (2022) The utility of three-dimensional models of paranasal sinuses to establish age, sex, and ancestry across three modern populations: A preliminary study. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences , 54 (3) pp. 326-345. 10.1080/00450618.2020.1805014. Green open access

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Abstract

Technological advances have furthered the development and understanding of trace materials such that DNA and fingerprints have become the foundation of human identification. However, when a body undergoes damage such as in cases of arson, these methods of identification may not be possible, and alternative methods of identification become critical. Previous studies have quantified the variability of the paranasal sinuses between individuals and have begun to explore their ability to provide biological information. However, the published literature investigating these structures in a forensic anthropology context offers variable findings. This study presents a new approach for establishing a biological profile using three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of the paranasal sinuses. 3D models were produced from a database of modern CT scans provided by University College London Hospital (UCLH), London, UK. Elliptic Fourier and linear analysis produced from the 3D models demonstrated notable variations and patterns for discriminating age, sex, and ancestry across three distinct ethnic groups. The most promising classification rates ranged from 82.8% (p =.027) to 76.9% (p =.003) for age and sex prediction. The findings offer insights into the potential for using the paranasal sinuses as an attribute for discriminating between individuals and the identification of unknown human remains in crime reconstruction investigations.

Type: Article
Title: The utility of three-dimensional models of paranasal sinuses to establish age, sex, and ancestry across three modern populations: A preliminary study
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2020.1805014
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2020.1805014
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Forensic science, forensic anthropology, victim identification, three-dimensional reconstruction, paranasal sinuses
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Security and Crime Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology > Institute of Archaeology Gordon Square
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10111502
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