Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fordisc 3

Third generation of computer-aided forensic anthropology

Fordisc 3

Dritte Generation der computergestützten forensischen Anthropologie

  • Leitthema
  • Published:
Rechtsmedizin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Forensic anthropologists are often consulted to estimate aspects of the biological profile, such as age, ancestry, sex and stature from unidentified skeletal remains. Estimating ancestry is especially challenging in developed countries that have large numbers of immigrants from underdeveloped countries. Many developed countries have also experienced secular changes in the well-established populations, most notably an increase in stature over the last 150 years, which often brings changes in cranial morphology. In order to keep forensic anthropological standards up to date with population changes in the United States, the Forensic Data Bank (FDB) of demographic and skeletal information was established. Fordisc 3 is the latest generation of statistical software to aid in constructing a biological profile using FDB data and multivariate statistical methods. Fordisc 3 is used by forensic anthropologists around the world and is regularly being improved and expanded.

Zusammenfassung

Eine häufige Aufgabe für forensische Anthropologen ist die Erstellung eines biologischen Profils von nichtidentifizierten skeletierten menschlichen Überresten. Hierbei werden u. a. Aussagen zu Alter, Herkunft, Geschlecht und Körperhöhe erwartet. Die Bestimmung der Herkunft stellt eine große Herausforderung dar, insbesondere in den Industrieländern mit einer hohen Zahl von Migranten und Zuwanderern. Viele Länder haben zudem bei den alteingesessenen Populationen säkuläre Veränderungen erfahren, die gravierendsten bei der Zunahme der Körperhöhe innerhalb der letzten 150 Jahre, häufig außerdem verbunden mit Veränderungen der Schädelmorphologie. Mit dem Ziel, die aktuell gültigen forensisch-anthropologischen Standards auf der Höhe der andauernden Populationsentwicklungen in den USA zu halten, wurde die Forensic Data Bank (FDB) mit demografischen und skeletalen Daten aufgebaut. Fordisc 3 repräsentiert die derzeit aktuellste Version einer statistischen Software, die basierend auf multivariaten statistischen Methoden dazu beiträgt, ein biologisches Profil unter Verwendung der FDB-Daten zu erstellen. Fordisc wird weltweit von forensischen Anthropologen eingesetzt. Die Datenbasis und der Leistungsumfang der Software werden regelmäßig erweitert und fortentwickelt.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ayers HG, Jantz RL, Moore-Jansen PH (1990) Giles and Elliot race discriminant functions revisited: a test using recent forensic cases. In: Gill GW, Rhine S (eds) Skeletal attribution of race. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Albuquerque, pp 65–71

  2. Boldsen JL, Milner GR, Konigsberg LW, Wood JW (2002) Transition analysis: a new method for estimating age from skeletons. In: Hoppa RD, Vaupel JW (eds) Paleodemography: age distributions from skeletal samples. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 73–106

  3. Dirkmaat DC, Cabo LL, Ousley SD, Symes SA (2008) New perspectives in forensic anthropology. Am J Phys Anthropol 51:33–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Geserick G, Schmeling A (2011) Qualitätssicherung der forensischen Altersdiagnostik bei lebenden Personen. Rechtsmedizin 21:22–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Giles E, Elliot O (1962) Race identification from cranial measurements. J Forensic Sci 7:147–157

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hädrich C, Bock S, Dreßler J (2011) Leichenschau nach 1000 Jahren. Rechtsmedizin 21:465–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hefner JT (2009) Cranial nonmetric variation and estimating ancestry. J Forensic Sci 54:985–995

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hefner JT, Ousley SD (2013) Statistical classification methods for estimating ancestry using morphoscopic traits. J Forensic Sci (under review)

  9. Howells WW (1973) Cranial variation in man: a study by multivariate analysis of patterns of difference among recent human populations. Papers of the Peabody Museum, vol 67. Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge

  10. Jantz RL, Moore-Jansen PH (1987) A data base for forensic anthropology. Washington, D.C. 20531: final report to the National Institute of Justice, Grant No. 85-1 J-CX-0021. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/111608.pdf

  11. Jantz RL, Ousley SD (1993) Fordisc 1.0: computerized forensic discriminant functions. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  12. Jantz RL, Ousley SD (2013) Introduction to Fordisc 3. In: Tersigni-Tarrant MT, Shirley N (eds) Forensic anthropology: an introduction. CRC, Boca Raton, pp 253–269

  13. Jantz RL, Ousley SD (2005) Fordisc 3: computerized forensic discriminant functions, version 3.1. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  14. Lehn C, Graw M (2012) Wie viel Regionalität steckt in Körpergewebe? Isotopenmethoden zur geografischen Herkunftsbestimmung von unbekannten Toten. Rechtsmedizin 22:99–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Milner GR, Boldsen JL (2012) Transition analysis: a validation study with known-age modern American skeletons. Am J Phys Anthropol 148:98–110

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Moore-Jansen PH, Jantz RL (1986) A computerized skeletal data bank for forensic anthropology. University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  17. Ousley SD (2012) Estimating stature. In: Dirkmaat DC (ed) A companion to forensic anthropology. Wiley-Blackwell, London, pp 330–334

  18. Ousley SD, Billeck WT, Hollinger RE (2005) Federal repatriation legislation and the role of physical anthropology in repatriation. Yearb Phys Anthropol 48:2–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ousley SD, Hollinger RE (2012) The pervasiveness of Daubert. In: Dirkmaat DC (ed) A companion to forensic anthropology. Wiley-Blackwell, London, pp 654–665

  20. Ousley SD, Jantz RL (1996) Fordisc 2.0: personal computer forensic discriminant functions. University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  21. Ousley SD, Jantz RL (1997) The forensic data bank: documenting skeletal trends in the United States. In: Reichs K (ed) Forensic osteology, 2nd edn. Thomas, Springfield, pp 297–315

  22. Ousley SD, Jantz RL (2012) Fordisc 3 and statistical methods for estimating sex and ancestry. In: Dirkmaat DC (ed) A companion to forensic anthropology. Wiley-Blackwell, London, pp 311–329

  23. Ousley S, Jantz R, Freid D (2009) Understanding race and human variation: why forensic anthropologists are good at identifying race. Am J Phys Anthropol 139:68–76

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ramsthaler F, Kreutz K, Verhoff MA (2007) Accuracy of metric sex analysis of skeletal remains using Fordisc based on a recent skull collection. Int J Legal Med 121:477–482

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Stuller F, Novomesky F, Krajcovic J, Straka L (2011) Skelettreste aus dem Zeitraum des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Forensisch-anthropologische Expertisen. Rechtsmedizin 21:136–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Zinka B, Kandlbinder R, Haas G et al (2011) Radionuklidanalyse von 228Th und 228Ra. Neue Methode zur Liegezeitbestimmung. Rechtsmedizin 21:124–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The corresponding author states the following: The authors of the manuscript are the authors of the Fordisc software mentioned.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology/Archaeology, Mercyhurst University, 16509, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

    S. Ousley PhD

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

    R. Jantz

Authors
  1. S. Ousley PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Jantz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Ousley PhD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ousley, S., Jantz, R. Fordisc 3. Rechtsmedizin 23, 97–99 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-013-0874-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-013-0874-9

Keywords

Schlüsselwörter

Search

Navigation