Toward Estimating Geographic Origin of Migrant Remains Along the United States-mexico Border

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2289652
AutoresM Katherine Spradley (0000-0002-6056-9712, autor correspondente)
Ano2014
Volume38
Fascículo1
Páginas101-110
Data de publicação2014-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAnnals of Anthropological Practice (BOOK_SERIES)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2153-957X • E-ISSN: 2153-9588
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/napa.12045
OpenAlexW1521680803
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas8
Referências citadas10

Due to the diverse demographics within the United States, ancestry estimation in the biological profile created by forensic anthropologists is helpful in facilitating a positive identification, narrowing down the parameters when searching through missing persons databases. The U.S.-Mexico border has seen an increase in migrant fatalities during the year 2012. In particular, Brooks County, Texas, has seen a dramatic increase in migrant remains. Until recently, the remains in Brooks County have been buried as unidentified individuals with no forensic pathological or anthropological analyses. Collaborative efforts by Baylor University, University of Indianapolis, and Texas State University are underway to exhume and analyze these individuals and work toward positive identification. Using the term Hispanic to describe these remains is of little use as individuals in Latin America do not refer to themselves as Hispanic and it is not informative to the geographic origins of these individuals. Because different countries that comprise Latin America have different population histories that have led to different population structures, it may be possible to use craniometric data to more precisely estimate the geographic origin of migrant fatalities found along the U.S.-Mexico border. Preliminary results suggest that, with larger data sets, it is possible to take a finer-grained approach to estimating geographic origin to facilitate a more rapid positive identification and repatriation

Archaeology · Criminology · Demographics · Forensic anthropology · Genealogy · Geography · Identification (biology · Latin Americans · Location · Political science · Population · Repatriation · Sociology · Demography · Forensic and Genetic Research · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · History · Law · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation