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October 2000 Volume 2 Number
4
Presentations at the
9th Biennial Scientific Meeting of the
International Association for
Craniofacial Identification
Washington, DC
July 24–28, 2000
Part 2
The following abstracts
of the presentations are ordered alphabetically by authors' last
names.
Identification by Analysis of Teeth Marks
F. Karaman and
H. Afsin
Association of Social Security
Instanbul Educational Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey
S. Cologlu
Association of Social
Security
Institute of Forensic Medicine
Istanbul, Turkey
One of the most common bite
mark techniques involves the comparison of marks made on transparent
overlays with photographs of the marks.
This study was intended to
improve the existing method of identifying teeth marks to obtain
clear marks of incisal edges and transparent overlays of teeth
marks more efficiently.
Dental impressions were obtained
from 40 persons. In order to acquire experimental bite marks,
the body impressions were taken from the neck and chest areas
of two corpses. Patterns were prepared from these impressions
using ceramic dough, which is soft and flexible like human skin,
easily and clearly photographed, and unaffected by environmental
conditions. The experimental bite marks were made by using dental
molds. Photographs were taken with an American Board of Forensic
Odontology (ABFO) ruler scale. The incisal edges of the dental
molds were inked and imprinted on a piece of white paper. These
life-sized marks were photocopied onto an acetate paper and then
compared to the life-sized experimental bite mark photographs.
The results were scored using
the ABFO Scoring System. At the end of this study, an accordance
was realized between the photographs and the marks on the transparent
overlays that exceeded 50 points. An inaccordance with a total
score below 50 points was also realized between the photographs
and the marks on the transparent overlays.
Who Do the Paintings Depict? The Assignation
of
Eighteenth Century Paintings to
Princes from the Southwest of Germany
A. Kuntz, D. Buhmann,
and J. Wilske
Universitaet des Saarlandes
Homburg Saarg, Germany
In 1995 and 1996, the remains
of the Princes Wilhelm Heinrich and Ludwig von Nassau Saarbruecken
were examined using paleopathologic methods. At the time of the
examination, the identity of the bodies was unequivocal. The
well-preserved remains of Prince Wilhelm von Nassau Saarbruecken's
skull allowed contemporary representation using superimposition
techniques to examine the accuracy of the painted representations
of the Prince.
Photographs of four oil paintings
as well as a silk screen printing of a relief, all of which art
historians had declared were of Prince Wilhelm Heinrich, were
available for study in this comparison. A photograph of an oil
painting of Prince Ludwig was also studied.
The four oil paintings showed
substantial correspondence between the face and the anatomical
proportions of Prince Wilhelm's skull, which were particularly
obvious in Photographs 1 and 2. One can assume that apart from
a too-high forehead and an enlargement of the side of the face
turned away from the front, the artists tried to reproduce the
image of the Prince as accurately as possible. On closer inspection
of Photographs 3 and 4, considerable differences could be seen
between the portraits and the skull's morphology. These photographs
showed a much larger mandible than is apparent in the skull of
Prince Wilhelm Heinrich. However, when these photographs were
placed together with the 3D CT photographs of the skull of Prince
Ludwig, the jaw region in the photographs was seen to fit closely
to Prince Ludwig's considerable prognathia. This led to the conclusion
that the paintings shown in Photographs 3 and 4 portray not Prince
Wilhelm Heinrich, but rather his son, Prince Ludwig. Using this
method, contemporary eighteenth century paintings can be accurately
identified with confidence.
The only available profile
of Wilhelm Heinrich was painted by Johann Philipp Mihm in 1755
and is positioned above the entrance to the Ludwig's church in
Saarbruecken. Assessment of the mixed photographs of the skull
with this relief clearly reveals that these media do not mirror
each other. If it can be assumed that this relief portrays Prince
Wilhelm Heinrich, then the artist tried to show the Prince in
such a flattering way that he avoided any anatomical resemblance
to Wilhelm Heinrich's head.
Utilization
of 3D Cephalometric Finite Elements Modeling for Measuring Human
Facial Soft Tissue Thickness
B. Kusnoto and
C. A. Evans
University of Illinois
Chicago, Illinois
S. Poernomo
Medical and Dental Division of Police Headquarters
Jakarta, Indonesia
P. Sahelangi
Medical and Dental Division of Bhayangkara Police Hospital
Ujung Pandang, Indonesia
Sophisticated methods for
mapping craniofacial soft tissues and skeletal structures have
been developed using computer technology. Various methods such
as laser scanning, stereophotogrammetry, photographic systems,
light digitizers, spatial digitizers, optoelectronic devices,
and computerized tomography have been used to derive 3D measurements
and modeling of hard and soft tissues of the human head.
The purpose of this study
is to develop a noninvasive, economical, and reliable method
for measuring human facial soft tissue thickness using 3D finite
elements modeling. Custom computer software (3DCeph™ 2000,
Department of Orthodontics, University of Illinois, Chicago,
Illinois) using a stereophotogrammetry algorithm has been found
to be accurate to 1.5 mm for linear measurements.
From 51 hard tissue landmarks
and 60 soft tissue landmarks, 97 hard tissue vectors and 159
soft tissue vectors were derived. Soft tissue thicknesses were
calculated in six areas: orbit and forehead, zygoma and temporal
region, cheek, nose, maxillary complex and upper lip, and mandibulary
complex and lower lip.
Eleven proportions between
hard and soft tissue measurements were also used, including the
ratio between nasal base aperture to cheilion, interpupilary
distance to cheilion, and left and right margin of orbital rim
to ectocanthion-endocanthion distance.
Frontal and profile photographs
of a subject's face labeled with six radiopaque markers made
of lead foil were taken at a standardized distance. Two markers
(round) were placed on the midsagittal line (glabella and pogonion),
two markers (triangle) were placed on the right side of the face
(supraorbitale and gonion angle), and the other two markers (square)
were placed on the left side of the face (supraorbitale and gonion
angle). At the same visit, lateral and postero-anterior cephalometric
radiographs were taken with all radiopaque markers still in place.
Radiographs and photographs were scanned into the computer.
Commercial computer graphic
software (Adobe Photoshop™) was used to scale the radiographs
and photographs to the same magnification and superimpose one
image on top of the other. Then, 3DCeph™ 2000 computer software
loaded on a standard PC was used to digitize and correlate landmarks
seen from different perspectives or projections and convert the
2D location of each landmark into its 3D spatial coordinate (x,
y, and z).
From those landmarks and
their spatial coordinates, 3D wireframe meshes can be established
by connecting the landmarks in a triangular fashion to create
a surface composed of multiple units. Finite element modeling
can be obtained following the creation of the wireframe meshes.
Using the six radiopaque markers, small errors due to head positioning
can be minimized as the precision of corresponding hard to soft
tissue structures is increased because these markers can be adjusted
separately in their spatial locations. Lastly, soft tissue thickness
from any hard tissue landmarks can be precisely measured within
an accuracy of 1.5 mm–2.0 mm, similar to computerized tomography
measurements.
In conclusion, computerized
stereophotogrammetry using 3DCeph™ 2000 in combination with
good radiographic and photographic techniques can be used as
a noninvasive, economical, and reliable method for determining
soft tissue thickness. The method can be adapted for analyzing
forensic samples gathered in locations where only limited resources
are available, such as in underdeveloped countries and rural
areas.
Comparison
of Anital Simon's
Facial Restoration and His Portrait
Á. Kustár
Hungarian Natural
History Museum
Budapest, Hungary
J. Repa and G.
Bajzik
Pannon University
Kaposvar, Hungary
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A large series of well-documented,
naturally mummified individuals were found during reconstruction
work at the Dominican Church in Vác, Hungary, between
1994 and 1995.
A facial restoration of one
of the mummies (right, top and middle), Anital Simon (1772–1808),
a well-known priest, teacher, and the director of the Institute
of the Deaf in Vác, was made. An authentic portrait of
Simon dating from the nineteenth century exists (right, bottom).
However, the portrait was not viewed until the reconstruction
was complete (see models, bottom left and middle). The portrait
was then compared to the reconstruction.
The portrait provided a good
assessment of the reliability of the facial reconstruction. The
quality and life-likeness of a facial reconstruction can be judged
by using the superimposition technique to directly compare the
features of the portrait with those of the reconstructed face
(as seen in the photograph, bottom right). With this technique,
topographical and anatomical relationships between the skull
bones and soft tissues, the proportions of the skull and face,
and other morphological aspects that combine to give the face
its individuality can be observed.
The facial reconstruction
was compared with the portrait, and the following results were
obtained: 62 percent of the characteristics showed great resemblance
to the original, 35 percent close resemblance, and 3 percent
approximate resemblance. |
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Introduction
of the TLGA-213 Skull Identification System
Y. Lan and Y.
Wang
Tieling Research Institute
Liaoning, People's Republic of China
L. Wang
Tieling Public Security Bureau
Liaoning, People's Republic of China
The TLGA-213 Skull Identification
System consists of a computer, a CCD camera, a video synthesizer,
a skull adjustment device, and a standard platform. An image-processing
card and a multimedia card are provided with the computer. The
computer can capture a digital image and pass it through to the
video synthesizer. A superimposed image of the digital image
and the analog image from the camera will appear on the camera.
This system provides four
display options: superimposed image, vertical section of the
superimposed image, horizontal section of the superimposed image,
and single image (skull/photograph). When the superimposed image
is displayed, the brightness of the two images can be adjusted
for better observation. It also has the function of false color
and partial enlargement.
During the course of identification,
first adjust the camera, pointing the lens face straight down.
Place the photograph under the lens on the platform filling the
screen. Adjust the image scale, focal length, and aperture. When
the object distance is within the range of one meter, adjust
the zoom lens to acquire a real image. Transfer the dynamic image
into a static one by using the software program. Draw marking
lines on the photograph. At this point, the photograph and the
marking lines can be saved to the disk.
Adjust the angle of the camera
to aim at the skull, then select the mode of superimposition
display, and a superimposed image of the photograph and the skull
will appear on the monitor. Examine and measure item by item
in accordance with the principles and methods for skull-image
superimposition identification. Finally, the identification conclusion
will be provided by the computer automatically.
Craniofacial
Superimposition as a Method of Analysis:
Comparing Historical Portraits and
Johann Sebastian Bach's Skull
D. Leopold
Universitat Leipzig
Leipzig, Germany
Following exhumation of the
body of Johann Sebastian Bach from St. John's Cemetery in Leipzig,
the skull was compared to several paintings. Among these were
an oil painting by Elias Gottlieb Hausmann (1747) and other portraits,
including one by a relative (Gottfried Friedrich Bach, about
1735), and one by an unknown painter who gave Bach a receding
forehead, which, judging from the skull, the composer had.
Using the superimposition
technique, differences in the face including low eye sockets,
a deeply set nose, a strong skull, a projecting lower jaw, and
a ptosis of the right upper eyelid characterized the probable
appearance of J. S. Bach.
Strengthening the Discriminant Power of
S. A. M. Fourier Parameters in Skull/Face Superimposition
T. Lettini
Cattedra di Antropologia, Università degli Studi di Bari
Bari, Italy
T. Cipriani and
V. Pesce Delfino
Consorzio di Ricerca DIGAMMA Bari
Bari, Italy
M. Colonna and
G. Di Vella
Cattedra di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di
Bari
Bari, Italy
Many techniques have been
proposed for the identification of unknown skeletal remains by
comparison between a skull and a photograph taken while a disappeared
subject was still alive. To be presented in the courts, however,
craniofacial superimposition requires numerical parameters to
be evaluated in terms of "true" or "false"
attribution of the found skeletal remains (Pesce Delfino et al.
1986). The parametrization of results to decrease subjective
evaluation and obtain numerical values for systematic comparison
was achieved using the Shape Analytical Morphometry (S.A.M.)
Forensic workstation (Colonna et al. 1980; Pesce Delfino et al.
1993). The S.A.M. approach is based on the extraction of shape-descriptive
parameters by means of analytical procedures derived from analytical
geometry (Lestrel et al. 1974; Pesce Delfino et al. 1997) that
are therefore given the generic term "analytical morphometry"
(Pesce Delfino et al. 1983). These rigorously standardized procedures
allow the observation and comparison of the profiles of corresponding
cranial segments. This comparison yields an analytical description
of the curve profile of the skull and photograph, respectively,
and provides numerical parameters with descriptive and consequently
comparative meaning.
It is important to stress
that the only useful parameters are those that can describe shape
because discrete measurements and their corresponding derived
fractions cannot describe small local differences in features
that allow identification.
The numerical results are
arranged in a "final evaluator" using four S.A.M. parameters:
one from original curve and fundamental curve match, one from
parabolic fitting, and two from Fourier analysis. Because S.A.M.
provides Fourier coefficients that provide independent amplitude
and phase values of each harmonic contributor, the amplitude
and phase of Fourier contributors were used as correlation coefficients
matching skull and photo series (linear correlation for amplitude
and Pearson correlation for phase). The lowest values were obtained
in true comparisons.
The proposed quantitative
procedures are of the continuous analytical type and are not
represented by discrete measurements between the pairs of points.
As the profile is subdivided into many points, it contains a
great deal of extractable information. In conclusion, this does
affect the value of the final numerical evaluators showing the
highest value in false comparison and the separation of "true"
and "false" comparisons of both oblique and lateral
view profiles.
References
Colonna, M., Pesce Delfino,
V., and Introna, F. Identificazione mediante sovrapposizione
cranio-foto del viso a mezzo di circuito televisivo: Applicazione
di una nuova metodica, Bollettino della Società Italiana
di Biologia (1980) 56:2271–2276.
Lestrel, P. E. Some problems
in the assessment of morphological size and shape differences,
Yearbook of Physical Anthropology (1974) 18:140–162.
Pesce Delfino, V., and Ricco
R. Remarks on analytic morphometry in biology: Procedure and
software illustration, Acta Stereologica (1983) 2:459–464.
Pesce Delfino, V., Colonna,
M., Vacca, E., Potente, F., and Introna, F. Computer-aided skull/face
superimposition, American Journal of Forensic Medicine and
Pathology (1986) 7(3):201–212.
Pesce Delfino, V., Vacca,
E., Potente, F., Lettini, T., and Colonna, M. Shape analytical
morphometry in computer-aided skull identification via video
superimposition. In: Forensic Analysis of the Skull. Eds.
M. Y. Iscan and R. P. Helmer. Wiley-Liss, New York, 1993, pp.
131–159.
Pesce Delfino, V., Lettini,
T., and Vacca, E. Heuristic adequacy of Fourier descriptors:
Methodologic aspects and applications in morphology. In: Fourier
Descriptors and Their Application in Biology. Ed. P. E. Lestrel.
Cambridge Press, Cambridge, England, 1997, pp. 250–293.
Pattern
Recognition Techniques Applied to the
Identification of Dentures for Forensic Odontology
G. Lindemaier
and O. Peschl
Universitaet Muenchen
Muenchen, Germany
J. V. Czarnecki
Wehrwissenschaftiches Institut fuer Materialuntersuchungen
Erding, Germany
SEM/EDX analysis of the quantitative
composition of dental alloys combined with mathematical pattern
recognition techniques were used for the identification of dentures
in forensic odontology. The statistical interpretation of the
data attempts to extract characteristic patterns in the composition
of the alloys that can be typical for a certain manufacturer
or region.
From Skulls
to Faces
S. A. Long
d.b.a. I.D. Image Discovery
Sparks, Nevada
This poster documents and
pictorially displays the scientific and artistic process of forensic
facial reconstruction (approximation) on a human skull cast with
tissue markers and clay. The skull cast was made from a computer-produced
skull taken from a CT scan of an ancient mummy from Nevada. Final
results as well as an example of variation between a Caucasoid-type
face and a reconstruction on a Native American skull cast are
shown.
Facial
Identification From Surveillance Images:
The Danish Experience
N. Lynnerup and
B. Sejrsen
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
In Denmark there has been
an increase in armed bank robberies. This has led to an increased
demand for facial identification analyses, which usually consist
of comparisons between images from surveillance cameras and photographs
of alleged perpetrators.
Previously, the image comparisons
were performed by police forensic technicians, but recently the
forensic odontological and anthropological department began conducting
the analyses as a result of the enhanced possibilities for recognizing
specific aspects of craniofacial (including mandibular) build,
dental occlusion, and general physiognomy of mouth and jaws.
Various raw materials (photographs,
videos, and police line-ups) that form the basis of the examinations
and methodologies used in these analyses (specific morphological
checklists for facial traits, digital imagery, overlays, and
on-scene investigations) are discussed. Standardized statements
and depositions are also discussed.
Facial
Imaging: Research and Application
M. H. Manhein,
N. E. Barrow, and B. Bassett
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
G. A. Listi
Tulane University
New Orleans, Louisiana
At the Forensic Anthropology
and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory (FACES) on the Louisiana
State University campus in Baton Rouge, the research-oriented
program includes a variety of applications for facial imaging.
Not only are the traditional forensic anthropology analyses for
local, regional, and national law enforcement agencies performed,
but a variety of facial-imaging services are provided: 3D clay
facial reconstructions, computer-generated age progressions on
missing children and adults, and video and photographic enhancements.
This paper presents selected
results of a recent in vivo tissue-depth research project that
was conducted over a three-year period (funded in part by a grant
from the Louisiana Educational Quality Support Fund). Included
are new age-category standards for children and adults. Inter-
and intragenerational analyses are also presented.
One aspect of facial imaging
includes computer-generated age progressions, which are used
in the recovery of missing children and adults. These age progressions
are also used by law enforcement to assist in the apprehension
of missing fugitives. Examples of successful cases are provided.
Finally, this presentation
demonstrates the ability of existing computer software to enhance
blurred videos for agencies such as police departments, sheriff's
offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Artificial
Intelligence/Computational Method to
Facial Reconstruction
M. K. Marks
Department of Anthropology
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
D. R. Tufano,
E. C. Uberbacher,
R. E. Flanery, V. N. Olman, and Y. Xu
Cognitive and Information Sciences
Computer Science and Mathematics Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
The objective, wholesale
means to expeditiously and economically approximate a believable
3D facial likeness for identification purposes from skeletal,
decomposed, fragmented, or mutilated faces is rare. Likewise,
the subjective artistic/sculpting skills necessary to create
busts from skulls are rare and cost-prohibitive to many law enforcement
agencies. Unfortunately, even the best 2D artistic rendition
of reality is many times obscure. This research approach in artificial
intelligence initiates a quantitative, Internet-based tool kit
that can be used to computationally and, therefore, objectively,
derive a face from a given skull surface. The collaboration of
forensic anthropology, computer science, radiology, and perceptual
psychology allows computer-graphic modeling to develop rapid
(same day) 3D reconstructions for viewing by family, witnesses,
craniofacial experts, or the public.
MRI data were collected from
European-American males between 30 and 50 years of age. Statistical
methods were derived from two artificial intelligence approaches,
case-based reasoning and a neural network, to predict facial
surfaces from a skeletal surface. Image segmentation of bone
and soft tissue volumes, structural analysis, 3D visualization
techniques, and perceptual aspects including use of skin-smoothing
algorithms for texture mapping and rotation (e.g., JPEG) to enhance
recognition, were attempted. The segmentation algorithms are
especially valuable in the reconstruction of fragmented faces.
A face can be produced/predicted
from a given skull surface after an electronic file is created
using video image capture. The prediction methods using the artificial
intelligence approaches decrease the error rate in facial profiles
by one half when compared to the traditional clay bust creations.
Software and programming development are still in the manufacturing
stage for this target (pilot) sample. Future methods will develop
and refine facial animation morphing, texture/surface mapping
and segmentation, and placement of 3D eyes at various depths
in the orbits. This technology will provide any law enforcement
agency or medical examiner facility armed with a 2K computer
and Netscape a quick, cost-efficient, and reliable means of identifying
victims.
This research was funded
by a Director's Research and Development Grant at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory.
Two Faces
Has He
B. A. Martin
Oakland County Sheriff's Department
Pontiac, Michigan
If a forensic artist has
a full-front X-ray, a profile X-ray, and a set of physical criteria
for an unknown subject's skull, how would the artist render a
subject's image? The following two methods will be evaluated
for effectiveness:
- Charting and mapping tissue
depths from the X-rays by overlays or
- Charting and then interacting
with team members to enhance overall reproduction and fine-tune
important details.
Bite
Mark Impressions on Human Tissue in the
Albanian Forensic Practice
S. Meksi and F.
Toti
University of Tirana
Tirana, Albania
The importance of bite mark
evidence in adjudicated felony trials such as homicide, sexual
crimes, and child abuse in Albania between 1990 and 1999 is demonstrated.
All aspects of bite mark
investigation, including the following, are covered:
- Examination of the victim;
- Location and description
of the wound including anatomical area, surface contour, tissue
characteristics, shape, color, type of injury, and size;
- Tissue sample examination
techniques;
- Photographic documentation;
and
- Examination of the suspect.
If properly preserved and
protected, bite marks can provide an important link between a
victim and an assailant.
Adult
Craniofacial Aging and Facial Reconstruction
C. Milner, C.
Wilkinson, and R. Neave
University of Manchester
Manchester, United Kingdom
The adult craniofacial complex
undergoes extensive morphological alteration during the adult
years of life. Through the postadolescent years, the craniofacial
skeleton continues to increase the outward dimensions of the
skull within the saggital plane (Behrents 1984). Conventional
techniques of facial reconstruction do not account for this process
and thus are limited to the prediction of facial characteristics
based on skull structure at time of death. With an understanding
of the pattern of adult skull growth, it may be possible to predict
the morphology of a given skull at other ages during adulthood
once the actual age of the skull at time of death is known. Such
a technique may be of forensic value when, for example, a skull
from a 70-year-old individual could be altered to allow reconstruction
at a much younger physical age for identification purposes.
In this work, data was employed
from Dr. Rolf Behrents' work of 1984 in order to predict the
profile alteration of a 20-year-old female skull over the 45
years subsequent to her death. Behrents' data represent one of
the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal studies describing
postadolescent craniofacial growth on the basis of serial subject
cephalographs (Behrents 1985). These calculations formed the
basis for comparative facial reconstruction, which aims to show
the possible appearance of the same individual at two time points
within his or her lifetime.
The results represent the
first attempt to predict the course of craniofacial skeletal
growth for an individual through adulthood. Furthermore, the
results of this work were developed beyond the cephalometric
tracings universally used to represent craniofacial complex growth
into a 3D format through facial reconstruction.
References
Behrents, R. A Treatise
on the Continuum of Growth in the Ageing Craniofacial Skeleton.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan,1984.
Behrents, R. An Atlas
of Growth in the Ageing Craniofacial Skeleton. Monograph
18 Craniofacial Growth Series, Center for Human Growth, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, 1985.
Prag, J. and Neave, R. Making
Faces. Manchester University Press, York, United Kingdom,
1997.
Forensic
Photocomparison of the Face:
The United Kingdom Perspective
R. A. H. Neave
University of Manchester
York, United Kingdom
The massive proliferation
of image surveillance techniques provides a form of evidence
that may appear very effective. In many incidences such evidence
forms a substantial part of the evidence presented in court.
There are, however, few occasions in which the images are of
sufficient quality for an unequivocal identification to be made.
Security images, whether on conventional film or closed-circuit
television, often lack the clarity of definition for fine detail
to be seen. The problems are further compounded by the above-eye-level
position of the cameras and the tendency of offenders to disguise
their appearance.
On many occasions, people
see what they want to see rather than what is actually there.
It is therefore essential that such evidence is examined with
the same rigor as any other forensic evidence. It is also essential
that the results be presented to a jury in a form that they can
readily comprehend.
This paper explores some
of the problems associated with the examination of this type
of evidence and the advantages and disadvantages of different
techniques. It also will consider the expectations of the investigating
authorities and the courts in relation to the degree of reliability
of such evidence.
References
Iscan, M.Y. Introduction
of techniques for photographic comparison: Potential and problems.
In: Forensic Analysis of the Skull. Wiley, New York, 1993,
pp. 57–70.
Linney, A. and Coombes, A.
M. Computer Modelling of Facial Form: Craniofacial Identification
in Forensic Medicine. Arnold, London, 1998, pp.189–199.
The Taung
Child: A Facial Reconstruction Comparison
G. L. Nusse
Guild of Natural Science Illustration
Mill Valley, California
The skull of the Taung Child,
Australopithecus africanus, was facially reconstructed.
Contrasting reconstructive techniques will be displayed: one
using muscle suture lines of the skull and the other using standard
tissue-depth markers. Both reconstructions are based on a casting
of the original skull found by Dr. Raymond Dart in 1924. This
cast was obtained courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins
in Tempe, Arizona.
Skeletal
Remains Identification by Facial Reconstruction
V. M. Phillips
Oral and Dental Teaching Hospital of the University of Stellenbosch
Cape Town, South Africa
The identification of human
remains is of paramount importance for legal and humane reasons.
The reconstruction of the facial features of an individual onto
the skull is a blending of the scientific and the artistic skills
of the sculptor. This method is usually a last resort to identify
the skeletal remains of an unidentified person, and it suffers
from an ongoing skepticism caused by the advent of the personal
computer and modern software technology. There are numerous techniques
to sculpture a face onto the skull, all of which rely on the
reproduction of a potentially recognizable face using the published
soft tissue thicknesses for different racial groups.
Three incidents in which
facial sculpturing was used to identify victims of unnatural
deaths are reported. The first was the identification of the
remains of a suicide victim found on the summit of Table Mountain
in Cape Town, South Africa. The second was the identification
of victims of a political assassination in which four young men
were shot in the back of the head. The final identification was
that of a young girl whose body was found in a shallow grave
in Cape Town.
The sculpturing method of
facial reconstruction has merit and yields remarkable results,
including the gratitude of the relatives of the identified victim
and the satisfaction of the forensic anthropologist.
Reconstructing
the Shape of the Nose
According to the Skull
M. Prokopec
National Institute of Public Health
Prague, Czech Republic
D. H. Ubelaker
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
Reconstructing the nose shape
from remains of the skull is problematic. Some authors considered
it impossible. The famous laboratory of M. M. Gerasimov in Moscow
devoted much experimental effort to solving this problem. One
of the authors (M. Prokopec) was trained by Gerasimov's successor,
Galina Lebedinskaya, in the method developed and used in the
laboratory. This method reconstructs the nose shape on the basis
of a skull, provided the nasal bones and the midface of the cranium
remained intact.
For this study, four well-preserved
skulls (two male and two female) from a Slavonic cemetery at
Rajhrad, Czech Republic, dating from the eleventh century were
found. The skulls were used to perform 2D facial reconstructions
and to demonstrate the method of nose shape reconstruction.
A perfect drawing of each
skull was made from its profile with a dioptrograph. These drawings
displayed the following details: maxilla, os nasale, contours
of eye sockets, os zygomaticum, processus zygomaticus, and all
sutures.
- A line (A) is drawn through
the points nasion and prosthion.
- A parallel line (B) is then
drawn, intersecting the foremost point on the nasal bone.
- Four or five lines (C, D,
E, F, G) in equal distances between each other are drawn perpendicular
to line B on its section from the very tip of the nasal bone
to the base of the apertura piriformis. Each of these lines crosses
line B and has an inner and outer section. The outer section
starts at line B.
- The distance from the rim
of the apertura piriformis to line B on line C (inner section)
is marked on its outer part by a dot. The same is done on each
of the lines D, E, F, and G.
- The dots on the outer sections
of lines C, D, E, F, and G were connected with a curve, and the
mean thickness of the skin and fat layers at this area were added.
This procedure provides the
most probable contour of the nose of a person's skull.
Dr. Lebedinskaya also described
the most probable position of the eyeball and eyelid, the size
and angle of the outer ear, the midline between the lips, the
position of the mouth corner, and the form of the chin. These
descriptions were considered in the four examples of 2D reconstructions.
Hair structures in both sexes and beards in the men were adjusted
freely according to the authors' interpretations, presuming that
such styles were worn by the Old Slavs in the eleventh century.
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FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS OCTOBER 2000 VOLUME
2 NUMBER 4 |
