Article
Anthropology
Vanin Stefano, Azzoni Morgan, Giordani Giorgia, Belcastro Maria Giovanna
Summary: This paper discusses the importance of insects collected from human remains for studying the past, introducing the disciplines of forensic entomology and funerary archaeoentomology. It also presents a working scheme to help distinguish between old insects and insects infesting bodies in collections.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Noemi Alvarez-Fernandez, Antonio Martinez Cortizas, Olalla Lopez-Costas
Summary: This study investigated the long-term trends and behavior of mercury in archaeological burial environments. The findings revealed that mercury behavior in graves is complex and influenced by factors such as bone structure, grave soil/sediments, and location within the skeleton. Skeletons contribute to soil mercury content, while soil/sediments have a minimal impact on skeletal mercury content.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. P. M. Marques, D. Goncalves, A. P. Mamede, T. Coutinho, E. Cunha, W. Kockelmann, S. F. Parker, L. A. E. Batista de Carvalho
Summary: The study used complementary optical and neutron-based vibrational spectroscopy techniques to investigate human bones burned under different oxygen conditions. Significant differences were observed between bones burned aerobically and anaerobically, providing valuable insights for a better understanding of bone constituents in various environmental settings.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Scott D. Haddow, Camilla Mazzucato, Sila Mangaloglu-Votruba, Baris Yagci, Thomas Booth, Eline M. J. Schotsmans, Christopher J. Knuesel
Summary: Recent bioarchaeological analyses at Catalhoyuk reveal variations in skeletal completeness, preservation, articulation, and flexion among burials. Organic remains indicate tightly bound and wrapped bodies. Some bodies may have been temporarily stored prior to burial. Microscopy analyses provide limited evidence of bacterial activity, suggesting caution when using bioerosion to assess ancient funerary practices.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Andrea Palamenghi, Annalisa Cappella, Michaela Cellina, Debora Mazzarelli, Danilo De Angelis, Chiarella Sforza, Cristina Cattaneo, Daniele Gibelli
Summary: Sorting commingled skeletal remains is a challenging task in forensic anthropology. This study uses digital superimposition of bone models to quantify bone similarity and determine pair-matching of pubic bones. The analysis of point-to-point distances between bone models allows for the discrimination of matches and mismatches. This research provides a valuable tool for forensic anthropologists dealing with commingled remains, especially in mass disasters.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Bogumila Wolska, Ana Rita Vassalo, Maria Paula M. Marques, Luis Esteves Batista de Carvalho, David Goncalves
Summary: Bone heat-induced changes complicate osteometric stature estimation of human remains from forensic settings. The validity of current methods has not been tested to a great extent. Stature estimations obtained from chemosteometry were found to be more precise than other approaches.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Vitale S. Sparacello, Irene Dori, Stefano Rossi, Alessandra Varalli, Julien Riel-Salvatore, Claudine Gravel-Miguel, Alessandro Riga, Francesca Seghi, Gwenaelle Goude, Sanne W. L. Palstra, Elisabetta Starnini, Vincenzo Formicola, Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
Summary: The Arene Candide Cave in northwestern Italy is a renowned site that has yielded numerous burials dating back to the terminal phases of the Pleistocene. The exceptional preservation of remains and information from excavations beginning in the 1940s allowed researchers to reconstruct a complex pattern of burial manipulation. The Epigravettian necropolis sheds light on funerary behavior during the Late Upper Paleolithic, with potential links to exceptional events and individuals.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Adam Budziszewski
Summary: In recent years, the use of a set of sieves has become an important part of the methodology in studying burned human bone. This study aimed to analyze the impact of sieve mesh opening shape on the results achieved. Seiving human burned bones from two Polish archaeological sites using two sets of sieves with different mesh opening shapes revealed noticeable differences. The shape of the mesh openings and their distribution on the sieves' surface can significantly affect the results concerning burned bone fragmentation.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Parnia Schariatmadary, Maurice C. G. Aalders, Roelof-Jan Oostra, Tristan Krap
Summary: This study found that human bones exhibit luminescent properties during the process of cremation, except for fully carbonized bones, when exposed to a specific light source. The researchers used an alternate light source to visualize and investigate latent details crucial for forensic investigations of burned human remains. The destructive nature of fire causes significant physical and chemical changes to the bone, making the analysis and interpretation of burned remains challenging. A previous observation of a spectral shift in emission bandwidth from green to red with increasing exposure temperature was reproduced in this study using burned human forearms. The quantification of this spectral shift provides evidence for the use of this technique in improving the interpretation of heat-induced changes in bones.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kaggie Orrick, Michael Dove, Oswald J. Schmitz
Summary: Conservation science requires a balance of social and ecological perspectives to understand human-wildlife interactions. We propose a social-ecological practice theory as a framework to better theorize human-nature relationships. Through a case study in the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana, we demonstrate the application of social-ecological practice theory to deepen the understanding of human-wildlife conflict. The theory highlights the complexity on the landscape and can lead to more effective conservation strategies for human-wildlife coexistence.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yiran Xu, Edward Allen, Lingxiang Wang, Shaoqing Wen
Summary: As we reflect on the wars of the 20th century, identification of human remains is becoming increasingly important. DNA analysis has proven to be more effective than standard forensic methods, and ancient DNA research protocols and next-generation sequencing techniques can be applied to degraded remains for identification purposes.
FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE-LANDMARK
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Joana Rosa, Ana R. Vassalo, Ana Amarante, Luis A. E. Batista de Carvalho, Maria Paula M. Marques, Maria Teresa Ferreira, David Goncalves
Summary: This study aimed to assess and document the effects of inhumation on the chemical composition of both unburned and burned human skeletal remains. Through periodic burial and excavation experiments, the results showed that the crystallinity index and carbonates to phosphate index of unburned bones and bones burned at 500℃ did not vary significantly. However, other indexes showed relevant changes depending on burning temperature and index.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Helen Litavec
Summary: This study presents a new and innovative method for sorting commingled human remains using deviation analyses at the sacroiliac joint. Virtual models were created from 69 os coxae and 66 sacra using a handheld surface scanner. The auricular surfaces were analyzed and their congruency measured using deviation analysis. ROC curves were performed to identify threshold values for sorting commingled remains. The results demonstrated high accuracy in sorting and reassociating the remains.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Andreia Baptista, Mariana Pedrosa, Francisco Curate, Maria Teresa Ferreira, M. P. M. Marques
Summary: The study found that changes in bone mineral components can aid in estimating the post-mortem interval, with specific infrared indices identified as the most suitable for estimation, especially in females, controlling for the effects of sex and age in the statistical analysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Meghan Mckinnon, Denice Higgins
Summary: The study found that retaining the supernatant following demineralisation can significantly increase DNA yield for incinerated modern bones. While DNA content yield decreased with burn duration, the demineralisation treatment variations appeared to have the same effect for all burn lengths.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL-GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Ana Elisabete Pires, Cleia Detry, Lounes Chikhi, Rita Rasteiro, Isabel R. Amorim, Fernanda Simoes, Jose Matos, Francisco Petrucci-Fonseca, Morgane Ollivier, Catherine Hanni, Joao Luis Cardoso, Pablo Arias, Mariana Diniz, Ana Cristina Araujo, Nuno Bicho, Ana Catarina Sousa, Marta Moreno-Garcia, Ana Margarida Arruda, Carlos Fernandez-Rodriguez, Eduardo Porfirio, Jose Morais Arnaud, Alexandra Valente, David Goncalves, Lara Alves, Anders Gotherstrom, Simon J. M. Davis, Catarina Ginja
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Anthropology
David Goncalves, Ana R. Vassalo, Calil Makhoul, Giampaolo Piga, Adriana P. Mamede, Stewart F. Parker, Maria T. Ferreira, Eugenia Cunha, Maria P. M. Marques, Luis A. E. Batista de Carvalho
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Cristiana Monteiro, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Francisco Curate, David Goncalves
Summary: This study investigated the changes in burned bones through DXA analyses, and found that BMD and CI increased with temperature increment, but CI is not a good proxy for DXA. However, DXA shows good potential for the study of the inorganic part of bone when submitted to high temperatures.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Maria Teresa Ferreira, Catarina Coelho, Calil Makhoul, David Navega, David Goncalves, Eugenia Cunha, Francisco Curate
Summary: The 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection at the University of Coimbra in Portugal has grown rapidly since the publication of the first article in 2014, now including 302 adult skeletons, predominantly elderly individuals. The collection serves as a vital resource for forensic anthropology research, with a focus on methods related to elderly individuals, leading to numerous scientific publications and academic scholarship.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Catarina Ochoa Rodrigues, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Vitor Matos, David Goncalves
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of heat exposure on sex estimation based on morphological and metric features. Results showed that heat-induced changes affected scoring of features, especially at high temperatures, with caution advised during analysis of bones burnt at low-to-medium intensity burns.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. P. M. Marques, D. Goncalves, A. P. Mamede, T. Coutinho, E. Cunha, W. Kockelmann, S. F. Parker, L. A. E. Batista de Carvalho
Summary: The study used complementary optical and neutron-based vibrational spectroscopy techniques to investigate human bones burned under different oxygen conditions. Significant differences were observed between bones burned aerobically and anaerobically, providing valuable insights for a better understanding of bone constituents in various environmental settings.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. P. M. Marques, L. A. E. Batista de Carvalho, D. Goncalves, E. Cunha, S. F. Parker
Summary: This study analyzed human bones exposed to low/medium temperatures using optical and neutron vibrational spectroscopy techniques. Clear differences were observed between bones heated in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, with specific spectroscopic biomarkers identified at different temperature ranges.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cicero Moraes, Hugo Matos Pereira, Joao Filipe Requicha, Lara Alves, Graca Alexandre-Pires, Sandra de Jesus, Silvia Guimaraes, Catarina Ginja, Cleia Detry, Miguel Ramalho, Ana Elisabete Pires
Summary: This paper showcases a study that reconstructed the facial appearance of a Mesolithic dog using an anatomical deformation approach, based on computer tomography images. Despite challenges such as bone displacement and absence of anatomical parts, the multidisciplinary study successfully reconstructed the Muge dog's face. Through this approximation, the study confers recognition to this prehistoric finding.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Bogumila Wolska, Ana Rita Vassalo, Maria Paula M. Marques, Luis Esteves Batista de Carvalho, David Goncalves
Summary: Bone heat-induced changes complicate osteometric stature estimation of human remains from forensic settings. The validity of current methods has not been tested to a great extent. Stature estimations obtained from chemosteometry were found to be more precise than other approaches.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Daniel Gaspar, Ana Usie, Celia Leao, Silvia Guimaraes, Ana Elisabete Pires, Claudino Matos, Antonio Marcos Ramos, Catarina Ginja
Summary: As global warming becomes more complex and difficult to manage, the conservation and sustainable use of locally adapted sheep breeds are becoming important. This study sequenced the genomes of Portuguese native sheep breeds to analyze their genomic diversity and population structure. The results provide insights into the potential of genomic data for guiding conservation efforts and identifying breed markers.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Joana Rosa, M. Paula M. Marques, David Goncalves, Maria Teresa Ferreira
Summary: Skeletal human remains that have undergone heat-induced changes have been extensively studied, but there is still much to learn and understand about these changes. Heat-induced colour modifications in bones are not well understood, as they often present unexpected colors instead of the typical variations. Additionally, there is a lack of standardization in determining and naming these colorations, leading to subjective descriptions. However, recent research shows a commitment to more objective methods. This review compiles literature data to discuss the potential of heat-induced color changes in inferring cause of death and their applicability in legal contexts.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
David Goncalves, Joana Rosa, Ana L. Brandao, Andrea Martins, Cesar Neves, Mariana Diniz, Jose M. Arnaud, Maria Paula M. Marques, Luis A. E. Batista de Carvalho
Summary: Vibrational spectroscopy was used to study cylindrical engraved bone boxes from Vila Nova de Sao Pedro, Portugal. The research aimed to understand the manufacturing techniques, the role of pyrotechnology, and oxygen conditions during burning. The analysis showed that the artefacts were most likely produced through bone cutting, engraving, polishing, and heat treatment. The population in Vila Nova de Sao Pedro had a high level of specialization in using fire to work with various materials.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Joana Rosa, Ana R. Vassalo, Ana Amarante, Luis A. E. Batista de Carvalho, Maria Paula M. Marques, Maria Teresa Ferreira, David Goncalves
Summary: This study aimed to assess and document the effects of inhumation on the chemical composition of both unburned and burned human skeletal remains. Through periodic burial and excavation experiments, the results showed that the crystallinity index and carbonates to phosphate index of unburned bones and bones burned at 500℃ did not vary significantly. However, other indexes showed relevant changes depending on burning temperature and index.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Simone A. M. Lemmers, David Goncalves, Eugenia Cunha, Ana R. Vassalo, Jo Appleby
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
A. E. Pires, I. S. Caldeira, F. Petrucci-Fonseca, I Viegas, C. Viegas, C. Bastos-Silveira, J. F. Requicha
VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2020)