Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Oct 4:1:271-274.
doi: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2019.10.002. eCollection 2019.

Craniofacial photographic superimposition: New developments

Douglas H Ubelaker  1 , Yaohan Wu  1 , Quinnlan R Cordero  1
Affiliations
Review

Craniofacial photographic superimposition: New developments

Douglas H Ubelaker et al. Forensic Sci Int Synerg. .

Abstract

Craniofacial superimposition is a technique used in the field of forensic anthropology to assist in the analysis of an unknown skull. The process involves superimposing an image of the recovered skull over an ante mortem image of the suspected individual. In the past two decades, there has been a decline in the application due to the development of molecular analysis as a more precise and accurate identification technique. Despite its decrease in use, there has been significant development in superimposition techniques in the past five years, specifically to standardize procedures. One project, MEPROCS (The New Methodologies and Protocols of Forensic Identification by Craniofacial Superimposition), has attempted to establish a framework for solving the problems of past superimposition techniques. Future researchers should consider integrating information gleaned from clinical practices with the statistical and technical advances of craniofacial superimposition for better facilitating its use in forensic anthropology.

Keywords: Anthropology; Craniofacial superimposition; Forensic science.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no known conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Ubelaker D.H. Craniofacial superimposition: historical review and current issues. J. Forensic Sci. 2015;60(6):1412–1419. - PubMed
    1. Aulsebrook W.A., Ìşcan M.Y., Slabbert J.H., Becker P. Superimposition and reconstruction in forensic facial identification: a survey. Forensic Sci. Int. 1995;75:101–120. - PubMed
    1. Damas S., Cordón O., Ibáñez O., Santamaría J., Alemán I., Botella M., Navarro F. Forensic identification by computer-aided craniofacial superimposition: a survey. ACM Comput. Surv. 2011;43(4):1–27.
    1. Yoshino M. Craniofacial superimposition. In: Wilkinson C., Rynn C., editors. Craniofacial Identification. Cambridge University Press; Cambridge: 2012. pp. 238–253.
    1. Hadi H., Wilkinson C.M. The post-mortem resilience of facial creases and the possibility for use in identification of the dead. Forensic Sci. Int. 2014;237 149.e1-149.e7. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources