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Introduction: Sex identification of skeletal remains is one of the prime factors employed in identification of an individual. Teeth, the most hard and stable human tissue, which is resistant to physical insults, serve as a valuable material for forensic, anthropological, odontologic and genetics. Among the four main attributes of biological identity, gender determination is usually the first step in the human identification process. Hence, the main objective of the present study was to assess the dimorphic status of mesiodistal (MD) width, labiolingual (LL) width as well as cervicoincisal (CI) length of the crown in both maxillary and mandibular permanent incisors, canines and first molars. Materials and Methods: The present study comprised a set of 100 casts (50 males and 50 females) between the age group of 20–50 years of age. Impressions were made using alginate impression and study models were prepared using dental stone. The CI length of the crown, maximum MD width and maximum LL width of both maxillary and mandibular permanent incisors, canines and first molars were evaluated using digital Vernier calipers. The obtained data were analyzed using linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression method. Results: This study concludes that MD dimension of maxillary canine and CI dimension of mandibular first molar as reliable indicators for gender determination than mandibular canine, maxillary and mandibular central incisors and maxillary first molar dimensions. Conclusion: This study concludes that MD dimension of maxillary canine and CI dimension of mandibular first molar as reliable indicators for gender determination than mandibular canine, maxillary and mandibular central incisors and maxillary first molar dimensions.

Background: Orthodontic science centers primarily on the growth, development and advancement of the craniofacial structures. Geometric morphometrics (GMM) is a new approach for shape identification in forensic sciences. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the shape variation in the Indian sample in order to assess sexual dimorphism by application of two-dimensional GMM. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised a total of 105 lateral cephalograms (54 males–51 females) of Angle's Class I malocclusion patients that were later subjected to principal component (PC) analysis and discriminant analysis. Results: The PC analysis showed over 96% of shape variation. The initial three PCs were statistically significant that depicted as 58.37% of total shape variability, with PC1 represent for the most significant variance 28.48%, PC2 described 18.83% and PC3 11.06%. Conclusion: Sex of an individual was clearly associated with occlusion of teeth and showed considerable variation. GMM is an alternative research tool and can be utilized for diagnosing individual characterization and classification of malocclusion.

Aim: To compare the uniqueness of human dentition in both orthodontically treated and untreated populations and evaluate the reliability of bitemark analysis. Materials and Methods: A total of 1464 maxillary and mandibular casts were fabricated from orthodontically treated and nontreated population. After careful examination of the study teeth, 326 nontreated maxillary cast (Group 1), 333 nontreated mandibular cast (Group 2), 336 orthodontically treated maxillary cast (Group 3), and 320 orthodontically treated mandibular casts (Group 4) were selected for the analysis. For uniformity, the sample size of 320 was selected from each group for comparison. Results: The arch width was a major cause of variance. In Group 1, only 6.87% of similarity rate was seen, whereas in Group 3, the match rate increased to 55% showing similarity. In Group 2, only 1.87% similarity and Group 4 showed 42.7% match rate. Conclusion: The human dentition may be unique, but it loses its uniqueness once any dental treatment is carried out.

Context Estimation of time since death is the preliminary step in any postmortem examination. Although there are various physiological methods to conclude the postmortem, interval histological changes can be applied to obtain precision. However, the utility of oral tissues for such an event is still evolving. Aims The present study was conducted to assess the efficacy of postmortem histological changes that occur in tongue to conclude the postmortem interval (PMI). Materials and methods After obtaining institutional human ethical committee, tongue tissue was collected for during routine autopsy procedure. The study comprised twelve autopsied tongue tissues. The tissue specimens were subjected to routine laboratory tissue processing procedure and the histological changes were evaluated. Conclusion This is the first study of this kind in the scientific literature to explore the tongue tissue to estimate the PMI. There were definite changes in the epithelium and the connective tissue of the tongue, and these features were highly remarkable at various postmortem time intervals.

Aim: Studies have been done in diversified population, demonstrating the uniqueness of frontal sinus; data related to the Indian population are less. Thus, the present study was aimed to determine the frontal sinus measurement and to assess its forensic application in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 individuals with Indian origin (21–30 years) were included in the study. The digitized posteroanterior skull radiographs were obtained and was transferred to Adobe® CS4 extended to measure the dimensions of frontal sinus and orbit for 12 parameters. Statistical Analysis: A descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: The descriptive statistics showed the presence of bilateral frontal sinus in 87.7% and bilateral absence in 8.0% of the individuals and the absence of left and right frontal sinus in 3.3% and 1%, respectively. Maximum population showed high asymmetry index (64.7%); the right side frontal sinus (height, 59.3% and width, 40.8%) was superior to the left side in both males and females. The partial septa among the Indian population were absent for maximum population (55.2%), and supraorbital cells of the frontal sinuses were present on both sides among the Indian population. Conclusion: The observation of the present study suggests that the frontal sinus is highly asymmetrical and unique to the individual and hence can be effectively used in personal identification method in forensic anthropology.

Introduction: Evaluation of Tooth Crown non metric traits benefits to assess the biological distance between populations. It is well known that these traits are characterised by a high inter-population differentiation, low sexual dimorphism, and their recording is loaded by relatively small intra and inter observer error. The dental morphological traits are successfully used in the description and explanation of the microevolutionary and ethnogenetic processes. This paper presents the results of the permanent maxillary dentition tooth crown traits differentiation of human populations from Bengaluru. Materials and Methods: The comparative analysis was carried out on the basis of 4 groups for 5 Tooth Crown non metric traits in maxillary permanent dentition using Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System for morphological scoring system of each trait and each score was charted on Osteoware Dental Morphology software. Results: Study analysed 400 dental casts from 4 different ethnic groups. Traits Winging, shovelling, lingual tubercle showed highest expression in Iranians while Cusp of Carabelli's trait expression showed 87% of prevalence in the surveyed group but the Hypocone trait showed the highest expression in Muslims. Conclusion: Traits of the human dentition can be a valuable diagnostic tool for anthropological studies in classifying and characterizing different ethnic groups. According to the results obtained from this study, it can be said that the groups Hindus, Muslims and Christians (Indians) belong to Sundonts, while Iranians fall under sinodonts population group.

Background: Twins are similar in many ways owing to the genetical and environmental factors. However, still, there are certain things that are not similar among them, and this is the challenge for personal identification among the twins. Objectives: Our present study aimed to know and assess the similarities and differences present between the monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins in relation to lip prints, palm prints, fingerprints and blood group and to evaluate their heritability among parents and their offspring. Materials and Methods: The study group comprised 30 twins and their parents – 15 identical and 15 nonidentical twins. The age of twins ranged from 15 years to 40 years. Lip print, palm print, fingerprint and blood group were statistically analyzed. Results: All the data were subjected to statistical analysis. The identical twins showed more percentage of similarities in comparison to the non identical twins. The inheritance pattern was significant for twins in case of their lip prints while palm prints and finger prints showed no such significance in inheritance pattern whereas there was significant association seen in case of blood groups of identical twins and their parents. Conclusion: Lip prints, palm prints, fingerprints and blood groups are the important parameters in forensic science for individual identification. Many studies have been done till now in individual but very few studies done in twin population. To the best of knowledge, ours is the first study of its kind with multiple parameters and its heritability in twins. We have observed that heritability in twins with relation to lip print was statistically significant and all the parameters can be used independently to identify the twins.

Aims: Detailed description and study of teeth traits could provide valuable information regarding phylogeny of man and distinctions between races and subraces. But morphological variations of the human dentition have not been utilized to their full potential by anthropologists concerned with patterns of human biological variation in Indian population. The aim of the present study is to detect the frequency and degree of expression of Carabelli's trait in Bengaluru population, this helps to develop a probabilistic model to distinguish individuals from specific human populations, particularly for forensic purposes. Materials and Methods: A total number 400of age and sex matched individuals from four different ethnic groups – Hindu, Islam, Christian and Iranians were examined clinically and study casts were made. Permanent maxillary first molars were examined for the expression of Carabelli's trait, Dahlberg classification system was used to score the trait on the teeth. The scores were recorded on Osteoware Dental Morphology software. The cast were examined by 2 observers independently to eliminate intra observer variation in interpretation and mean of 2 was taken for analysis. The data so obtained was statistically analysed especially emphasizing on differences between above mentioned 4 ethnic groups. Results: Cusp of Carabelli was present in 87% of the study population in maxillary first permanent molar. Type 3 was the most frequently expressed and Type 6 was the least frequently expressed and both type being expressed in Islamic groups. The expression of trait was bilateral in 90% of the surveyed groups. Conclusions: It was concluded that the prevalence of cusp of Carabelli in the small population from Bengaluru considered in the present study was found to possess a high degree of Carabelli trait expression.