Owsley-Mann Protocol
Definition
The fragment identification and triage methodology developed by Douglas Owsley (Smithsonian Institution) and Robert Mann (DPAA) for systematically assigning commingled bone fragments to skeletal elements and sides, primarily from mass-grave and mass-disaster recovery contexts. Prioritises articular surfaces, muscle attachments, cortical thickness, and cross-sectional shape.
- Developers
- Douglas Owsley (Smithsonian Institution) and Robert Mann (DPAA)
- Purpose
- Triage and identification of commingled bone fragments
- Primary context
- Mass-grave and mass-disaster recovery
- Key features used
- Articular surfaces, muscle attachments, cortical thickness, cross-sectional shape
Common questions
Why is a dedicated protocol needed for commingled remains rather than standard skeletal analysis?+
Standard skeletal analysis assumes one individual per assemblage, whereas commingled contexts contain overlapping fragments from many individuals, so the protocol focuses first on sorting fragments to element and side before any individual-level analysis can begin.
What does 'siding' a fragment mean in this protocol?+
Siding means determining whether a fragment came from the left or right side of the body, done by matching features like muscle attachment orientation and articular surface curvature against known anatomical patterns, which is a prerequisite step for later matching fragments to the same individual.
Related terms
- Cortical Index
- The ratio of total cortical bone area to total bone cross-sectional area at a defined midshaft location. Used in fragment identification to...
- Fragment Identification
- The assignment of a bone fragment to a specific skeletal element (rib, long-bone shaft, vertebral arch, cranial vault, etc.) and anatomical region,...
- Haversian Canal
- The central vascular channel of an osteon, carrying blood vessels and nerves through the cortical bone. Diameter 20-70 µm in human bone....
- 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...
- Neural Arch
- The posterior bony arch of a vertebra, formed by two pedicles and two laminae meeting at the spinous process. In foetal and...
- Osteon
- The basic structural unit of cortical bone: a set of concentric lamellae surrounding a central Haversian canal. Human secondary osteons are roughly...
- Plexiform Bone
- A microstructural pattern found in the cortical bone of large rapid-growth mammals (bovids, horses, deer) characterised by alternating layers of woven bone...
- Side Determination
- The osteological process of assigning a paired skeletal element (clavicle, humerus, femur, rib, os coxae, etc.) to the left or right side...
- Species Confirmation (DNA)
- PCR-based or sequencing-based confirmation that a bone fragment is of human (Homo sapiens) origin, using human-specific primer sequences or mitochondrial cytochrome b...