Individualization and Enamel Histology: A Case Report in Forensic Anthropology
Skinner, M
Associate professor, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

Anderson, GS
Graduate student, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada.


Abstract
The cranium of a native Indian child about six years old was found in 1979 near Taseko River, British Columbia, Canada. While the remains matched the report of a child missing for eight years in terms of race, age at death, locale, and elapsed time since death, the cranium and dentition were basically unidentifiable because of the claimed lack of medical or dental history. There was no dental work, and the parents were unknown or dead. We report the presence, in the dental enamel of the primary and secondary dentition, of stress markers, termed striae of Retzius, whose locations correspond well with anecdotal reports and recently discovered medical records which describe the timing of specific episodes of stress. The enhanced probability of personal identification from dental histological stress markers is evaluated.

Keywords:
dental enamel, dentition, enamel histology, forensic science, individualization, Native American Indian, odontology, physical anthropology, stress markers

Paper ID: JFS363910939

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Author Skinner M, Anderson GS Title Individualization and Enamel Histology: A Case Report in Forensic Anthropology Symposium , Committee on