AnthropoScope
Definition
Computerised three-dimensional skull and facial reconstruction system using laser scans of the skull and soft-tissue prediction from CT databases.
- Function
- 3D skull and facial reconstruction system
- Input
- Laser scans of the skull
- Soft-tissue prediction from
- CT databases
- Field
- Skull superimposition and facial reconstruction
Common questions
How does computerised reconstruction differ from traditional clay facial reconstruction?+
A digital system such as AnthropoScope applies statistically derived tissue-depth data from CT scan databases across the whole skull surface rather than relying on an artist manually placing tissue-depth markers and sculpting by hand, which improves reproducibility between practitioners.
What is the reconstructed face used for in an investigation?+
It generates an approximate likeness for public appeal or media release when a skull is unidentified, intended to prompt recognition leads rather than serve as a positive identification, which still requires dental, DNA or other comparative methods.
Related terms
- Anatomical Landmarks
- Fixed cranial reference points (about 25 are used) including glabella, nasion, gonion, gnathion, zygion and prosthion that must align with corresponding soft-tissue...
- FACES
- American computerised composite and reconstruction software (IQ Biometrix) used to generate two-dimensional faces from cranial and witness data.
- Glabella
- The midline prominence on the frontal bone between the superciliary arches. Scored 1 (flat, female) to 5 (highly prominent, male). Correlated with...
- Gonion
- The most posterior and inferior point of the mandibular angle, bilaterally. Used in superimposition to assess the width of the jaw angle...
- Manchester Method
- Three-dimensional facial reconstruction technique developed by Richard Neave at the University of Manchester, building clay muscle by muscle on a skull cast...
- Nasion
- The anatomical landmark at the junction of the nasal bones and the frontal bone (the bridge of the nose). One of the...
- Plastic vs Sculptured Reconstruction
- Plastic (two-dimensional) reconstruction draws the face on a photograph or sketch of the skull; sculptured (three-dimensional) reconstruction builds the face physically in...
- Soft-Tissue Thickness
- Distance from a cranial landmark to the overlying skin surface, measured in millimetres; varies with sex, age, BMI and population, and forms...
- Superimposition
- Overlay technique that matches an unidentified skull with an antemortem photograph of a suspected individual to test anatomical consistency.
- Video Superimposition
- The updated superimposition workflow using a motorised skull turntable, a calibrated video camera, and real-time electronic mixing of the skull video image...