On the Conclusiveness of Skull Identification Via the Video Superimposition Technique

Abstract

The possibility of using the video superimposition technique for the identification of a skull by comparing it with photographs of missing persons is founded on the fact that the human skull, unlike any other part of the human skeleton, shows unmistakable individual characteristics. In order to obtain a quantification, the individuality of human skulls is defined in terms of craniometric data and their probability distribution. First calculations based on the coordinates of some important encephalometric points of 52 European skulls suggest individualities comparable to those of fingerprints. Under certain conditions the video superimposition technique can establish very strong evidence for the identity of an unknown skull, provided that it is applied correctly and carefully.