Technological advances have furthered the development and understanding of trace materials such that DNA and fingerprints have become the foundation of human identification.However, when a body undergoes damage such as in cases of arson, these methods of identification may not be possible, and alternative methods of identification become critical.Previous studies have quantified the variability of the paranasal sinuses between individuals and have begun to explore their ability to provide biological information. However, the published literature investigating these structures in a forensic anthropology context offers variable findings. This study presents a new approach for establishing a biological profile using threedimensional (3D) reconstructions of the paranasal sinuses. 3D models were produced from a database of modern CT scans provided by University College London Hospital (UCLH), London, UK. Elliptic Fourier and linear analysis produced from the 3D models demonstrated notable variations and patterns for discriminating age, sex, and ancestry across three distinct ethnic groups. The most promising classification rates ranged from 82.8% (p=.027) to 76.9% (p=.003) for age and sex prediction. The findings offer insights into the potential for using the paranasal sinuses as an attribute for discriminating between individuals and the identification of unknown human remains in crime reconstruction investigations.

Human identifications are made difficult when the remains are severely fragmented or burned. In cases such as these, alternative methods of identification become vital. Three-dimensional reconstructions have increased the potential for utilizing qualitative and quantitative analysis of anatomical structures within forensic anthropology approaches. This paper presents a method to produce three-dimensional reconstructions of paranasal sinuses for biological analysis of skeletal remains. Previous published research has quantified the variability of the paranasal sinuses and has begun to explore their ability to provide biological information within forensic science contexts. However, the complex anatomical structure of the sinuses has led to significant limitations in the ability to produce three-dimensional reconstructions for analysis using an automatic approach. Therefore, this new method for developing three-dimensional models of the paranasal sinuses using an automatic approach that is suitable for a large sample size is timely. It offers a new pathway to more sophisticated methods of analysis that ultimately offer the potential to provide valid and robust distinctions between individuals and identifications in crime reconstructions.

Objectives: Modern computed tomography (CT) databases offer a valuable resource for obtaining skeletal reconstructions and contemporary population data. However, researchers may not utilise CT data due to limited funds for proprietary modelling software, or from a lack of awareness of visualization techniques. This paper presents a step-by-step method for creating accurate 3D crania models from CT data using the free and open-source platform 3D Slicer. This method is tested to 1) establish if novice users can produce 3D crania models following the steps, and 2) determine if these models are accurate to models from experienced users.Materials and Methods: The step-by-step method was recorded and tested by five observers who each produced twenty 3D models using clinical sinus CT scans (n=20). The models (n=100) were evaluated through a quantitative mesh comparison to establish the accuracy with experienced users and against novice users.Results: The mesh comparison between the models from the experienced observers resulted in an average absolute mean distance of 0.4 mm, with 99% of models accurate to within 0.5 mm. The novice observers were able create robust 3D models following the stepby-step method with average absolute mean distances of 0.5 to 0.6 mm, and 95% of the mean distances within 1 mm of the reference model. Conclusion:All of the crania models produced were comparably accurate with minor variances seen in the background noise and orbital bone modelling. The tested method is accessible and suitable for use with modern CT databases and for forensic reconstruction approaches.

Modern computed tomography (CT) databases are becoming an accepted resource for the practice and development of identification methods in forensic anthropology. However, the utility of 3D models created using free and open-source visualisation software such as 3D Slicer have not yet been thoroughly assessed for morphoscopic biological profiling methods where virtual methods of analysis are becoming more common. This paper presents a study that builds on the initial findings from Robles et al. (2020) to determine the feasibility of estimating sex on STL 3D cranial models produced from CT scans from a modern, living UK population (n = 80) using equation 2 from the Walker’s (2008) morphoscopic method. Kendall’s coefficients of concordance (KCC) indicated substantial agreement using cranial features scores in an inter-observer test and a video-inter-observer test. Fleiss’s Kappa scores showed moderate agreement (0.50) overall between inter-observer sex estimations, and for observer sex estimations in comparison to recorded sexes (0.56). It was found that novice users could virtually employ morphoscopic sex estimation methods effectively on STL 3D cranial models from modern individuals. This study also highlights the potential that digital databases of modern living populations can offer forensic anthropology.