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Thesis
Skeletal Markers of Stress: Investigating Possible Migrant Remains In A South Florida Cold-Case Sample
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida
Spring 2022
Abstract
A forensic anthropologist’s ability to differentiate between the remains of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) migrants and those of United States-born citizens is essential to forensic investigations. This thesis expands on previous research conducted by forensic anthropologists on the U.S.-Mexico border by applying it to the context of the South Florida ‘border.’ A skeletal sample of 107 cold-case decedents in the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department was studied for the presence of skeletal indicators of nonspecific stress, specifically, porotic cranial lesions (PCLs) and enamel hypoplasias, as well as pathological conditions, occupational markers, and trauma, in the hopes of marking decedents as possible migrants and potentially guiding the investigation of their cases. Thirty of the 107 decedents were previously identified, serving as the control group of known origin. In the control group, enamel hypoplasias were significantly more common (p = .017, Fisher's exact test) in LAC migrants (76.9%; n=10 of 13) than U.S.-born citizens (23.1%; n=3 of 13). Antemortem tooth loss was also significantly more common in migrants (p = .033, Fisher's exact test), though tooth loss was marked in identified U.S. decedents as well. Frequencies of PCLs between the subsamples did not differ significantly (p = 1.000, Fisher's exact test). When these data were applied to the unidentified sample, enamel hypoplasias were detected in 19 of the 77 unidentified decedents. Enamel hypoplasias and other conditions commonly associated with non-U.S. lifeways (e.g., squatting facets) were used to distinguish 22 unidentified decedents as possible LAC migrants to inform their future identifications.
Details
- Title
- Skeletal Markers of Stress
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Contributors
- Allysha P Winburn (Advisor)Meredith Marten (Committee Member)Katherine A Miller Wolf (Committee Member)
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 204
- Copyright
- © 2014 Nicole Rae Bucchino
- Identifiers
- 99380090596006600
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology; College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Arts (MA)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida