Skeletal Remains Identification
Skeletal Remains Identification - Related Videos
07:56
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
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Cited by 13 •
2018
Bone mineral density (BMD) is an important factor in understanding nutritional intake. For human skeletal remains, it is a useful metric to assess quality of life in both juveniles and adults, particularly in fatal starvation and neglect cases. This paper provides guidelines for scanning human skeletal remains for forensic purposes.
07:04
Fiber Type Identification of Human Skeletal Muscle
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Cited by 4 •
2023
This protocol demonstrates single-fiber isolation from freeze-dried human skeletal muscle and fiber-type classification according to Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform using the dot blotting technique. Identified MHC I and II fiber samples can then be further analyzed for fiber type-specific differences in protein expression using western blotting.
14:36
Adult and Embryonic Skeletal Muscle Microexplant Culture and Isolation of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells
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Cited by 7 •
2010
The micro-dissected explants technique is a robust and reliable method for isolating proliferative skeletal muscle cells from juvenile, adult or embryonic muscles as a source of skeletal muscle stem cells. Uniquely, these cells have been clonally derived to produce skeletal muscle stem cell lines used for in vivo transplantation.
09:45
Mitochondrial Isolation from Skeletal Muscle
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Cited by 47 •
2011
This protocol describes a procedure to study the respiration of mitochondria isolated from skeletal muscles. This method was adapted from Scorrano et al. (2007). The mitochondrial isolation procedure requires about 2 hours. The mitochondrial respiration can be completed in about 1 hour.
07:18
Identification of Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells by Immunofluorescence with Pax7 and Laminin Antibodies
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Cited by 23 •
2018
The precise identification of satellite cells is essential for studying their functions under various physiological and pathological conditions. This article presents a protocol to identify satellite cells on adult skeletal muscle sections by immunofluorescence-based staining.
FAQs
These markers provide informative genetic patterns that laboratories can recover from preserved bone or teeth. Analysts amplify the selected DNA regions and compare the resulting profile with reference material. Using genetic markers allows identification work to proceed even when remains are fragmented, degraded, or recovered long after death, conditions that can prevent visual recognition.
DNA analysis can use genetic material preserved within skeletal tissue rather than relying on an intact body or recognizable facial features. Laboratories extract DNA from available bone or teeth, amplify informative markers, and evaluate the resulting profile against references. This makes the approach relevant when remains have deteriorated, are incomplete, or cannot support visual identification.
A recovered genetic profile gains interpretive value through comparison with a suitable reference sample. Relatives can provide comparison material for assessing biological relationships, while personal belongings can supply an individual reference. These comparisons connect genetic findings from remains with a named person or family context and can support identification in missing-person investigations.
Genetic findings and anthropological observations answer related but different questions. DNA comparison can support identity and biological relationships, while anthropological assessment can contribute estimates of age, sex, ancestry, and stature. Considering both evidence types creates a broader identification framework, particularly when investigators must interpret incomplete remains or distinguish among several possible individuals.
The workflow begins with DNA extraction from preserved skeletal tissue, commonly bone or teeth. The laboratory then amplifies informative markers, including short tandem repeats or mitochondrial DNA, to produce a genetic profile. Analysts compare that profile with reference samples from relatives or personal belongings, generating evidence that can be evaluated alongside anthropological findings.
The approach is particularly valuable when visual recognition is impossible, including missing-person cases and disaster victim identification. It can also assist forensic investigations involving remains recovered long after death or in a fragmented and degraded condition. Reference comparisons provide a way to connect recovered material with relatives or personal belongings when ordinary recognition cannot establish identity.
Genetic analysis can provide evidence supporting an individual identification and can help establish biological relationships. Its results are interpreted through comparison with reference samples rather than in isolation. When combined with anthropological information about age, sex, ancestry, and stature, the genetic findings contribute to a more complete assessment of who the remains may represent.