Advances in Cranial Macromorphoscopic Trait and Dental Morphology Analysis for Ancestry Estimation

This chapter focuses on the use of cranial macromorphoscopic traits and dental morphology as an important component of the estimation of ancestry. These types of categorical data are now moving into a rigorous statistical framework within forensic anthropology, despite the fact that metric data made this shift several decades ago. The forensic anthropologist now needs to be familiar with these types of categorical data and how they are collected and analyzed. These data, as well as current applications and future avenues of research, are discussed. The chapter concludes with a case study that illustrates how current methods can be used and also demonstrates the classificatory power of these data.

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