Identity theft, criminal investigations of the dead or missing, mass disasters both by natural causes and by criminal intent - with this as our day-to-day reality, the establishment and verification of human identity has never been more important or more prominent in our society. Maintaining and protecting the integrity of out identity has reached levels of unprecedented importance and has led to international legislation to protect our human rights. This book examines the variety of biological indicators that are available to investigators and illustrates the basic principles of each discipline. While DNA and fingerprints are clearly the favored methods of identification, they require a prior record and verifiable baseline for comparison. When these tools cannot be used it is necessary to employ those biological factors with higher variation and lower diagnostic probability. This reference introduces a number of different specialties such as, foot- and earprinting, dental interventions, skeletal anomalies, tattoos, facial reconstruction, personal effects, and handwriting. While recognizing that no single factor is an absolute indicator of identity, the contributors explain how a multitude of factors taken into summative consideration can establish a probability for confirmation. They discuss the difference between positive and probable identification and the use of exclusion to confirm identity. Using three high profile case studies, the book addresses the context of human identification in today's society and illustrates the use of techniques described in the text. Heavily referenced and using more than 120 charts, figures, photographs, and tables, it provides detailed introductory and extended information to newcomers and experts alike on the wide range of identification techniques in international practice.

"BAHID, British Association for Human Identification".

Foreword / Louise Scheuer -- Introduction -- Part A. Biological indicators and methods of determination. Section 1. Identification from biomolecular evidence. 1. DNA / William Goodwin, Sibte Hadi -- 2. Stable isotope fingerprinting : chemical element "DNA"? / Wolfram Meier-Augenstein -- Section 2. Identification from latent prints. 3. Fingerprints / Vivianne Galloway, Dave Charlton -- 4. Earprints / Lynn Meijerman, Andrew Thean, Cornelis van der Lugt, Georg J. R. Maat -- Section 3. Identification from the soft tissues. 5. Physical appearance / Ian Hill -- 6. Soft tissue pathology / Christopher Milroy -- 7. Soft tissue trauma / Guy N. Rutty -- 8. Surgical intervention / James Clarkson, Maureen Schaefer -- 9. Hair and nail / Andrew S. Wilson, M. Thomas P. Gilbert -- Section 4. Identification from the hard tissues. 10. Odontology / James H. Hardy -- 11. Osteology / Louise Scheuer, Sue Black -- 12. Radiography / Emily Hines, Catherine Rock, Mark Viner -- Section 5. Facial identification. 13. Facial anthropology and reconstruction / Caroline Wilkinson -- 14. Facial recognition and imagery analysis / Geoffrey Oxlee -- 15. Identifying persons by their iris patterns / John Daugman -- Section 6. Identification from methods of communication. 16. Handwriting / Iain Henry Stewart -- Section 7. Identification from podiatry and walking. 17. The foot / Wesley Vernon -- 18. Footwear marks / Terry Napier -- 19. Gait / Michael G. Grant -- Section 8. Identification from personal effects. 20. Personal effects / Tim Thompson, Alan Puxley -- 21. Body modification / Sue Black, Tim Thompson -- Part B. The context and significance of forensic human identification. Section 9. The context of human identification. 22. Identity fraud and theft -- 23. Biometric identity cards -- 24. Missing persons in the United Kingdom / Teri Blythe, Sophie Woodforde -- 25. Crimes against humanity and other war crimes / Helena Ranta, Kari T. Takamaa -- Section 10. Forensic human identification case studies. 26. The Rolex murder, Southwest England -- 27. The "Adam" case, London / Will O'Reilly -- 28. The World Trade Center : September 11, 2001 / Gaille MacKinnon, Amy Z. Mundorff -- Index.