Abstract
The discovery of DNA plays vital role in Human identification is one of the major fields of study and research in forensic science. This discovery was the basis for the development of techniques that allow characterizing each person’s individuality based on the DNA sequence. Individual identification of ancient human remains the most fundamental requisites for studies of paleo-population genetics, including kinship among ancient people, intra- and inter population structures in ancient times, and the origin of human populations. However, knowledge of these subjects has been based mainly on circumstantial archaeological evidence for kinship and intra population structure and on genetic studies of modern human populations. Tooth and several biological materials such as bone tissue, hair bulb, saliva, blood and other body tissues may be employed for isolation of DNA and accomplishment of laboratory tests for human identification. Here we describe individual identification of ancient humans by using short-nucleotide tandem repeats and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from a tooth as genetic markers. The application of this approach to kinship analysis shows clearly the presence or absence of kinship among the ancient remains examined.
Highlights
IntroductionForensic Dentistry is the specialty with the goal of investigating psychological, physical, chemical and biological phenomena that can reach human beings ( alive, dead or body fragments), comprehending aspects of human identification; criminal, civil, labor and administrative forensic investigation; forensic tanatology; legal documents; forensic traumatology; image (x-ray, tomography) examinations; saliva analysis; and other aspects involving a multidisciplinary team [1]
Forensic Dentistry is the specialty with the goal of investigating psychological, physical, chemical and biological phenomena that can reach human beings, comprehending aspects of human identification; criminal, civil, labor and administrative forensic investigation; forensic tanatology; legal documents; forensic traumatology; image (x-ray, tomography) examinations; saliva analysis; and other aspects involving a multidisciplinary team [1]
Human identification is one of the major fields of study and research in forensic science because it deals with the human body and aims at establishing human identity
Summary
Forensic Dentistry is the specialty with the goal of investigating psychological, physical, chemical and biological phenomena that can reach human beings ( alive, dead or body fragments), comprehending aspects of human identification; criminal, civil, labor and administrative forensic investigation; forensic tanatology; legal documents; forensic traumatology; image (x-ray, tomography) examinations; saliva analysis; and other aspects involving a multidisciplinary team [1]. The revolution caused in 1953 by Watson and Crick [2], who discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, which is responsible for the genetic inheritance of human beings, led to important changes in most fields of science. This discovery was the basis for the development of techniques that allow characterizing each person’s individuality based on the DNA sequence. The established importance of Forensic Dentistry for human identification, mainly when there is little remaining material to perform such identification (e.g. in fires, explosions, decomposing bodies), has led dentists working with forensic investigation to become more familiar with the new molecular biology technologies. This article presents a literature review referring to the recent Brazilian works and some international studies on Forensic Dentistry that used DNA analysis for human identification, and makes an overview of the evolution of this technology in the last years, highlighting the importance of molecular biology in cases of forensic investigation
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