Pair-Matching
Definition
The process of identifying left and right elements from the same individual based on morphological compatibility: matching size, cortical thickness, bone texture, and developmental stage. The primary data input for MLNI calculation.
- Purpose
- Identify left/right elements from one individual
- Criteria used
- Size, cortical thickness, texture, developmental stage
- Feeds into
- MLNI calculation
- Context
- Commingled remains, mass fatality DVI
Common questions
Why is pair-matching necessary when MNI can already be calculated from element counts?+
MNI counts the most numerous single element (say, left femurs) but pair-matching goes further by linking specific left and right elements to the same individual, which produces MLNI, a more refined minimum count that reduces overestimation from commingled bone.
What happens when morphological features are ambiguous or degraded?+
Pair-matching becomes probabilistic rather than certain, and analysts fall back on DNA or other biomolecular methods to confirm associations that morphology alone cannot resolve, particularly with fragmented or taphonomically altered remains.
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...
- Most Likely Number of Individuals (MLNI)
- A maximum-likelihood estimate of the true number of individuals in a commingled assemblage, proposed by Adams and Konigsberg (2004). Uses pair-matching data...
- Petrous Bone
- The petrous portion of the temporal bone, the densest bone in the human skull. Its dense hydroxyapatite matrix protects enclosed DNA from...