Most Likely Number of Individuals (MLNI)
Definition
A maximum-likelihood estimate of the true number of individuals in a commingled assemblage, proposed by Adams and Konigsberg (2004). Uses pair-matching data and is always greater than or equal to MNI.
- Proposed by
- Adams and Konigsberg
- Year
- 2004
- Method type
- Maximum-likelihood estimator
- Relation to MNI
- MLNI is always >= MNI
- Field
- Commingled remains analysis, DVI
Common questions
Why is MLNI needed when MNI already gives a minimum count?+
MNI is a floor, the smallest number of individuals consistent with the recovered bones, but in commingled disasters the true count is almost always higher, so MLNI uses pair-matching probabilities across paired skeletal elements to estimate a statistically more realistic total.
What data does MLNI require that MNI does not?+
MLNI needs pair-matching information, how often left and right elements from the same individual can be matched by size, morphology, or articulation, to model the probability of an element pair belonging together, which MNI's simple element-counting method ignores.
When is MLNI preferred over MNI in a mass fatality investigation?+
MLNI is preferred when the assemblage is heavily commingled and investigators need a defensible estimate closer to the true individual count for identification planning and resourcing, rather than the conservative lower bound MNI provides.
Related terms
- Biological Profile
- The four-part osteological description of an unidentified individual: sex, age range, population affinity (ancestry), and estimated stature. The profile constrains the pool...
- Commingled Remains
- Skeletal material from more than one individual mixed together, as commonly recovered from mass graves, transportation disasters, or fire scenes. Sorting commingled...
- DVI (Disaster Victim Identification)
- The systematic multi-agency process for identifying victims of mass-casualty events, governed by the INTERPOL DVI Guide 2018 revision. Organises work into five...
- Epiphyseal Fusion
- The obliteration of the cartilaginous growth plate and bony union of the epiphysis with the diaphysis. Fusion sequence and timing form the...
- ICMP (International Commission on Missing Persons)
- The international organisation that has led DNA-based identification of missing persons from the former Yugoslavia since 1996, working from a laboratory in...
- Minimum Number of Elements (MNE)
- The minimum number of complete skeletal elements represented by all fragments of a given element type. Used to assess assemblage completeness and...
- Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI)
- The smallest number of distinct individuals required to account for all skeletal elements present in an assemblage. Determined by identifying the element...
- Pair-Matching
- The process of identifying left and right elements from the same individual based on morphological compatibility: matching size, cortical thickness, bone texture,...
- Petrous Bone
- The petrous portion of the temporal bone, the densest bone in the human skull. Its dense hydroxyapatite matrix protects enclosed DNA from...