Species Confirmation (DNA)
Definition
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 comparison. The definitive backstop when macroscopic and histological assessment of human-vs-non-human identity is inconclusive.
- Field
- Forensic anthropology, skeletal analysis
- Methods
- PCR with human-specific primers, mitochondrial cytochrome b sequencing
- Target
- Confirming Homo sapiens origin of a bone fragment
- Role
- Definitive backstop when macroscopic or histological review is inconclusive
Common questions
When is DNA species confirmation actually needed?+
It is used when a fragment is too small, burned, or degraded for reliable macroscopic or histological human-versus-animal assessment, since visual and microscopic bone features can overlap between species at that scale.
Does a negative human-specific PCR result rule out human origin?+
Not automatically. Severe degradation can suppress amplification, so a negative result is interpreted alongside sample quality controls rather than taken alone as proof the material is non-human.
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...
- Owsley-Mann Protocol
- The fragment identification and triage methodology developed by Douglas Owsley (Smithsonian Institution) and Robert Mann (DPAA) for systematically assigning commingled bone fragments...
- 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...