Molecular Photofitting

In the field of forensics, there is a critical need for genetic tests that can function in a predictive or inferential sense, before suspects have been identified, and/or for crimes for which DNA evidence exists but eye-witnesses do not. Molecular Photofitting fills this need by describing the process of generating a physical description of an individual from the analysis of his or her DNA. The molecular photofitting process has been used to assist with the identification of remains and to guide criminal investigations toward certain individuals within the sphere of prior suspects. Molecular Photofitting provides an accessible roadmap for both the forensic scientist hoping to make use of the new tests becoming available, and for the human genetic researcher working to discover the panels of markers that comprise these tests. By implementing population structure as a practical forensics and clinical genomics tool, Molecular Photofitting serves to redefine the way science and history look at ancestry and genetics, and shows how these tools can be used to maximize the efficacy of our criminal justice system. Explains how physical descriptions of individuals can be generated using only their DNA Contains case studies that show how this new forensic technology is used in practical application Includes over 100 diagrams, tables, and photos to illustrate and outline complex concepts

In the field of forensics, there is a critical need for genetic tests that can function in a predictive or inferential sense, before suspects have been identified, and/or for crimes for which DNA evidence exists but eye-witnesses do not. Molecular Photofitting fills this need by describing the process of generating a physical description of an individual from the analysis of his or her DNA. The molecular photofitting process has been used to assist with the identification of remains and to guide criminal investigations toward certain individuals within the sphere of prior suspects. Molecular Photofitting provides an accessible roadmap for both the forensic scientist hoping to make use of the new tests becoming available, and for the human genetic researcher working to discover the panels of markers that comprise these tests. By implementing population structure as a practical forensics and clinical genomics tool, Molecular Photofitting serves to redefine the way science and history look at ancestry and genetics, and shows how these tools can be used to maximize the efficacy of our criminal justice system. Explains how physical descriptions of individuals can be generated using only their DNA Contains case studies that show how this new forensic technology is used in practical application Includes over 100 diagrams, tables, and photos to illustrate and outline complex concepts

Our genetic markers have come to be regarded as portals to the past. Analysis of these markers is increasingly used to tell the story of human migration; to investigate and judge issues of social membership and kinship; to rewrite history and collective memory; to right past wrongs and to arbitrate legal claims and human rights controversies; and to open new thinking about health and well-being. At the same time, in many societies genetic evidence is being called upon to perform a kind of racially charged cultural work: to repair the racial past and to transform scholarly and popular opinion about the “nature” of identity in the present. Genetics and the Unsettled Past considers the alignment of genetic science with commercial genealogy, with legal and forensic developments, and with pharmaceutical innovation to examine how these trends lend renewed authority to biological understandings of race and history. This unique collection brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines—biology, history, cultural studies, law, medicine, anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology—to explore the emerging and often contested connections among race, DNA, and history. Written for a general audience, the book’s essays touch upon a variety of topics, including the rise and implications of DNA in genealogy, law, and other fields; the cultural and political uses and misuses of genetic information; the way in which DNA testing is reshaping understandings of group identity for French Canadians, Native Americans, South Africans, and many others within and across cultural and national boundaries; and the sweeping implications of genetics for society today.

With contributions from 70 experienced practitioners from around the world, this second edition of the authoritative Handbook of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology provides a solid foundation in both the practical and ethical components of forensic work. The book weaves together the discipline’s historical development; current field methods for analyzing crime, natural disasters, and human atrocities; an array of laboratory techniques; key case studies involving legal, professional, and ethical issues; and ideas about the future of forensic work--all from a global perspective. This fully revised second edition expands the geographic representation of the first edition by including chapters from practitioners in South Africa and Colombia, and adds exciting new chapters on the International Commission on Missing Persons and on forensic work being done to identify victims of the Battle of Fromelles during World War I. The Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology provides an updated perspective of the disciplines of forensic archaeology and anthropology.

Explores how different countries balance the use of DNA databanks in criminal justice with the rights of their citizens, including arguments about the dangers of collecting DNA from arrested individuals and the myth behind DNA profiling.

Forensic science is playing an increasingly important role in criminal investigations, as it provides scientific methods and techniques to gather and analyse evidence from crime scenes. Forensic evidence can be crucial in identifying suspects, linking them to the crime scene, and helping to secure convictions in court. In this sense, forensic science is seen as an aid to criminal investigation, providing reliable and objective evidence that can be used to uncover the truth behind criminal activities. The integration of forensic science with law and criminology is creating a new era of progressive thinking, where advanced techniques are being developed to better understand the nature of crime and the behaviour of criminals. With the help of forensic science, investigators can obtain speedy justice and bring criminals to book. However, this requires appropriate measures to be taken for the efficient execution of forensic investigations, including the use of modern technology and the training of professionals in the latest forensic techniques. Given the importance of forensic science in the criminal justice system, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of its different aspects. This includes the collection, preservation, and analysis of forensic evidence, as well as the interpretation of this evidence in the context of criminal investigations. This book covers these topics in detail, providing valuable insights for professionals, practitioners, academics, and students of the related fields.

Genealogy has long been one of humanity's greatest obsessions. But with the rise of genetics, and increasing media attention to it through programs like Who Do You Think You Are? and Faces of America, we are now told that genetic markers can definitively tell us who we are and where we came from. The problem, writes Eviatar Zerubavel, is that biology does not provide us with the full picture. After all, he asks, why do we consider Barack Obama black even though his mother was white? Why did the Nazis believe that unions of Germans and Jews would produce Jews rather than Germans? In this provocative book, he offers a fresh understanding of relatedness, showing that its social logic sometimes overrides the biological reality it supposedly reflects. In fact, rather than just biological facts, social traditions of remembering and classifying shape the way we trace our ancestors, identify our relatives, and delineate families, ethnic groups, nations, and species. Furthermore, genealogies are more than mere records of history. Drawing on a wide range of evidence, Zerubavel introduces such concepts as braiding, clipping, pasting, lumping, splitting, stretching, and pruning to shed light on how we manipulate genealogies to accommodate personal and collective agendas of inclusion and exclusion. Rather than simply find out who our ancestors were and identify our relatives, we actually construct the genealogical narratives that make them our ancestors and relatives. An eye-opening re-examination of our very notion of relatedness, Ancestors and Relatives offers a new way of understanding family, ethnicity, nationhood, race, and humanity.

Der Goldstandard unter den Referenzwerken der Rechtsmedizin In der zweiten Auflage des Handbook of Forensic Medicine vermittelt der Herausgeber Burkhard Madea der Leserschaft einen umfassenden, internationalen Ansatz in der Rechtsmedizin mithilfe eines Teams von Experten aus aller Welt. Das Buch enthält neue Inhalte zu den Themen Tatortuntersuchung, Analyse von Blutfleckenmustern, Terroranschläge, Brandkatastrophen, neue psychoaktive Substanzen und Molekularpathologie sowie einen umfassenden Überblick über sämtliche Aspekte der Rechtsmedizin. In den einzelnen Kapiteln werden alle Faktoren der Qualitätskontrolle und Best Practices behandelt. Anhand von Fallstudien werden die dort erläuterten Konzepte veranschaulicht und die Verbindungen zwischen verschiedenen Teildisziplinen hervorgehoben. Für Spezialisten, die täglich im Einsatz sind, werden in jedem Kapitel die Elemente der Routineanalyse behandelt. In der zweiten Auflage des Handbook of Forensic Medicine werden die neuesten Entwicklungen in der forensischen Molekularbiologie, der forensischen Toxikologie, der Molekularpathologie und der Immunhistochemie besprochen. Darüber hinaus bietet das Werk: * Eine gründliche Einführung in die Aufgaben der Rechtsmedizin in der modernen Gesellschaft mit einer Darstellung der internationalen Richtlinien und Akkreditierungen in der Rechtsmedizin * Umfassende Betrachtungen der medizinischen Aspekte des Todes, insbesondere des Wesens und der Definition von Tod, Autopsie und der Identifizierung der Opfer von Massenkatastrophen * Praktische Erörterungen zur Traumatologie und zum gewaltsamen Tod, insbesondere durch Ersticken, Stromschlag und Blitzschlag, Kindstötung und ärztliche Kunstfehler * Tiefgreifende Untersuchungen zum plötzlichen und unerwarteten Tod aus natürlichen Gründen, auch zur Biochemie nach dem Tod Dieses Buch ist unverzichtbar für jeden Experten in der Rechtsmedizin, Toxikologie und Hämogenetik sowie für alle, die Gutachten für Gerichtsverfahren erstellen sollen. Auch für Rechtsanwälte und Jurastudenten ist es ein ideales Nachschlagewerk.