Forensic anthropology

The NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium is an open meeting where attendees can learn about NIJ-funded research across a variety of forensic science areas. 

Following a multi-month course of data collection using simulated human gravesites, Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) researcher Jordan Mullikin will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of GPR for the detection of unmarked graves. Additionally, this webinar will explore Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology for the same purpose and investigate the potential integration of both technologies for optimal detection of clandestine graves within the law enforcement and forensic communities.

The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence assisted the National Institute of Justice in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at the 77th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. This video is one of five recorded sessions from the event. 

Presentations include - 

The pubic symphysis joint on the pubic bone is frequently used in anthropology to estimate age-at-death in late adolescent and adult individuals. This webinar will provide a background on the age indicator, as well as a review of the anatomical features used in the age estimation methods based on this joint. The primary focus of the webinar is to help participants better interpret the written phase descriptions in pubic symphysis age estimation methods.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on January 11, 2023.

Forensic anthropologists face the challenge of sorting remains from commingled assemblages. This webinar examines how chemical signatures of bone can complement physical reassociation strategies. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers rapid, visually non-destructive analysis that acquires chemical information from bone. Statistical evaluation of chemical profiles taken across 1284 bones from 45 individuals reveals that physicochemical variation exists between individuals and, consequently, can be used to classify the bones.

This presentation introduces scoring procedures for dental morphological traits of the molars that can be employed in population affinity estimates for forensic anthropological casework. While common traits, such as shoveling and Carabelli’s trait, are briefly discussed, the focus on molar morphology promotes a greater understanding of informative, less commonly utilized traits that often preserve better in forensic case settings.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on February 8, 2023.