Understanding (Mis)classification Trends of Latin Americans in Fordisc 3.1: Incorporating Cranial Morphology,Microgeographic Origin,and Admixture Proportions for Interpretation |
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Authors: | Cris E. Hughes Ph.D. Beatrix Dudzik Ph.D. Bridget F.B. Algee‐Hewitt Ph.D. Ansley Jones B.A. Bruce E. Anderson Ph.D. |
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Affiliation: | 1. Anthropology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign, 607 S. Matthews Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801;2. Carle R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign, 1206 W Gregory Dr, Urbana, IL, 61801Corresponding author: Cris E. Hughes, Ph.D. E‐mail:;3. Anatomy Department, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway, Harrogate, TN, 37752;4. Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Building 360, Main Quad, Stanford, CA, 94305;5. Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, 2825 E District St, Tucson, AZ, 85714 |
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Abstract: | Assigning correct population affinity to a skeleton can contribute important information to an investigation—yet recent work highlights high error rates when classifying Latinos with a traditional tool, Fordisc 3.1 (FD3). Our study examines whether misclassification trends exist, and whether these can be used to infer population affinity. We examine the relationships among ancestry, geography, and FD3 misclassifications of Latinos using canonical variate analysis and unsupervised model‐based clustering of craniometrics. Northern Mexicans appear more strongly associated with FD3 references samples with elevated amounts of European ancestry (e.g., American Blacks and Whites), while Southern Mexicans are more strongly associated with FD3 reference samples with reduced amounts of European ancestry (e.g., Guatemalans and Native Americans). FD3 classifications revealed that Latinos exhibited lower posterior probabilities when compared to other common case demographics (Whites and African Americas), even when the classification was “correct.” We make recommendations for practitioner interpretation of FD3 reports for casework. |
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Keywords: | forensic science forensic anthropology craniometrics Latin America fordisc geographic structure ancestry |
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