The Identified Osteological Collections of South America and Their Ethical Dimensions

Cláudia R Plens,Yuli Andrea Lopez Quintero,Katarzyna Górka

doi:10.3390/forensicsci2010018

Abstract

Recent years have brought an important increase in the interest in identified human osteological collections in South America. Their number has been systematically growing and their sizes have been expanding, allowing the development of the field of forensic anthropology, among other disciplines, in this region. These collections are used mainly for the validation of international forensic anthropology methods for national and local populations, as well as for the training of professionals and researchers. Despite their growth, important limitation related to the lack of variability in the representativeness of individuals within these collections represents a significant drawback. Likewise, their concentration in only a few countries constitutes a noteworthy concern. This article aims at mapping the existing identified human osteological collections in South America, discussing the advances in the area of forensic anthropology that they have allowed, and reflecting upon their ethical dimensions in the South American context.

Highlights

The development of identified human osteological collections is inextricably linked to studies of human osteological variation and comparative anatomy within the field of biological anthropology [1]
We provide a brief background of each of them, as well as their importance in the field of forensic anthropology, but we concentrate our reflection on their ethical dimensions in the South American context
We present a reflection on the ethical dimensions of such collections in the light of the social, economic, and political divergencies existing in different regions of the world

Summary

Introduction

The development of identified human osteological collections is inextricably linked to studies of human osteological variation and comparative anatomy within the field of biological anthropology [1]. Identified human osteological collections constitute the basic source for forensic anthropology research, enhancing their importance in the field of biological anthropology. They represent a fundamental source for the validation of existing and the development of new methodologies and procedures for the estimation of a biological profile of an unknown individual. These collections are used for the training of professionals and researchers. In various regions of the world forensic anthropologists, in their daily practice, apply methods developed on the reference collections, mainly the Hamman-Todd, Terry or the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection. A growing tendency in the development of more local, regional collections can be observed with the aim of adapting existing methods for regional populations [13]

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion