This is a part of forensic medicine that describes the indentification of the living and the dead It explains both scientific and non scientific methods

1. IDENTIFICATION
(determination of individuality)
Reasons for needing accurate identity of
deceased include:-
a. Notification of next of kin for ethical or
humanitarian reasons
b. Completion of official records, statistics, burial
and cremation purposes
c. Discharging of legal claims/obligations – estate,
debts, property, insurance etc
d. To facilitate legal investigations , police enquiries
, inquest /court cases etc.
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2. NON SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF
IDENTIFICATION
•Personal impression (visual identification)
• Basis of identification parades but is notoriously
unreliable.
•PhotographyMore useful in identifying the living than the
dead.
•Sex – usually obvious.
•Age – external appearances, internal degenerative
diseases, bone and joints.
•Height or stature race and weight
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3. NON SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF
IDENTIFICATION
1. Skin colour (alters post mortem)
2. Eyes – more useful in caucasians than negroid and
mongoloid races.
3. Teeth – very resistant and bear much useful information.
4. Hair – colour, style, length, beard/moustache.
5. Scars – surgical procedures and prostheses.
6. Tattooing – seen even if the body is putrefied.
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4. NON SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF
IDENTIFICATION
8. External peculiarities –
circumcision, moles, warts.
9. Deformities
10. Clothing and other objects
11. Jewellery
12. Cosmetics
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5. SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF
IDENTIFICATION
•Handwriting
•Fingerprints (Dactylography)
•Dental identification
•DNA Testing /DNA profiling
•Comparison of ante and postmortem x-
rays( postmortem radiography)
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6. Identification of dead bodies
A. Non scientific methods of identification consist of:
a. Visual Identification of body by relatives or friends
b. Identification based on documents on the body,
clothing, scars, tattoos, external peculiarities (like
moles, wart etc), body piercing
c. Identification based on exclusion( Single
passenger in car and single body was found)
Note : In the case of decomposed and or
unrecognizable bodies , scientific methods of
identification should be used.
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7. • If presented with an unidentified body in
which attempts at identification have been
unsuccessful , prior to its release , collect
/take and retain the following :-
1. Photographs
2. Dental Charts and radiographs
3. Fingerprints
4. Full body radiographs ( especially in burnt
or decomposed bodies)
5. Retain tissue (blood or bone) for future
DNA analysis
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8. IDENTIFICATION OF INTACT, NON
DECOMPOSED HUMAN REMAINS
Scientific methods used to
establish positive identification
• Finger prints
• Dental: seek help of
Forensic Odontologist
(need ante-mortem records
for comparison).
• Radiographs (need ante-
mortem records for
comparison).
• DNA profiling.
Non scientific methods
• Comparison of physical
attributes, including sex,
age, race, stature,hair
colour, eye colour, old
amputations etc
• Distinctive marks such as
tattoos, scars,
• Visual identification by a
living human
• Circumstantial evidence
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9. Decomposed or charred ,non-
skeletonised human remains
• Scientific methods
a. Fingerprints- from detached skin (glove like skin) or
From mummified or desiccated finger tips or
• From finger pad, even if epidermis is missing
c. Dental examination
d. Radiographs
e. DNA study may not productive , due to degradation of
the proteins; still can be tried from muscle or bone
marrow or dental pulp
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10. Skeletonized human remains
• If bones are easily identified as human, then methods of
identification include:-
1. Scientific methods:
Dental,
• Radiographs and
• DNA from bone marrow and dental pulp
2. Semi-scientific but non-positive means of identifying skeletal
remains include:
• Facial reconstruction( by computer)
• Photo-superimposition
3. Nonscientific means: clothing (summer versus winter)
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11. Examination of Skeletal Remains: if the
remains are only bones
1. Are they really bones? (wood, stones)
2. Are they human?
3. How many bodies?
4. Sex, age, stature and race ?
5. Nature of injuries & Cause of death?
6. How long dead? – recent or ancient (e.g.
construction or digging at an old burial site
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12. Sex
•Straightforward in intact bodies expect in transvestites,
adrenogenital syndrome and hermaphrodites.
•In mutilated/dismembered or charred bodies the
internal sex organs, especially the uterus, cervix and
prostate are resilient.
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13. Subjective sex differences in pelvis.
MALE FEMALE
Pelvis as a whole Thick, heavy,
markedly muscular
Smoother, lighter,
more spacious
Brim Heart shaped Circular or
elliptical
Body of pubis Triangular shape Quadrangular
Sub pubic arch Inverted V shaped Inverted U shaped
Greater sciatic
notch
Deep and narrow Broad and shallow
Sacro-iliac joint Large Small
Sacrum Long and narrow Short and wide
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14. Sex Determination From Skull and
Mandible
1. Supra orbital ridges
2. Mastoid process
3. Palate
4. Orbit
5. Mandible
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15. Race Determination From Bones
1. The skull is the only reliable bone. It is not
possible o narrow down the identification to
racial stock:
• Caucasian (all whites)
• Negro (all blacks – Africans and West Indians).
• Mongoloid (Chinese, Japanese, American Indians).
2. Thus skull of British, Germans, French or
Swedes cannot be distinguished from one
another. Similarly Japanese skulls are similar to
Chinese skulls.
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16. 3. Mongoloid race has characteristically “shovel-
shaped” concave upper incisor teeth.
4. Cheekbones (Zygomatic arches): determine facial
width. More prominent in mongoloids. Width
between eyes greater in mongoloids.
5. Nasal openings: wider and flatter in negroid.
Narrow in caucasians.
6. Femur: tends to be straighter in negroid.
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17. DETERMINAION OF STATURE FROM
BONES
1. Long bone length (femur, tibia, humerus) is
proportional to height.
2. Tables are used.
3. Fairly reliable up to age of epiphyseal fusion.
4. There are sex, race, nutrition and personal
variations to consider.
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18. AGE DETERMINATION FROM BONES
•Sex has to be taken into account as bone development
and epiphyseal fusion is different between the sexes.
•The pattern of fusion of bone ends (epiphysis) to bone
shaft (metaphysis) in each bone indicates age. Charts
and tables are used.
•Cranial suture fusion is less reliable. Pubic symphysis
changes slightly with age.
•Arthritic changes, osteophytes and osteoporosis give
further clues.
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19. Ossification Centres in foetus /new born
1. Useful only in foetuses and babies. May be determined
radio-logically or by cutting into ossification centres.
May be confirmed histologically.
2. Most important centre in medico-legal work is the distal
centre of the femur. This is present at birth and indicates
a full term baby.
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20. THE DATING OF HUMAN SKELETAL
REMAINS
•Are they ancient or modern bones? (i.e. greater or less
than 50 years).
•Rate of skeletonisation highly variable. In the tropics a
body can be reduced to a skeleton in 3 weeks. Thus,
environmental conditions have to be taken into
account.
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