Ancestry estimates: Evaluating the reliability of Hefner's cranial morphoscopic method

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dc.contributor.authorMerchant, Chenee
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeHoppa, Robert (Anthropology)en_US
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeBuddle, Kathleen (Anthropology)en_US
dc.contributor.supervisorHolland, Emily
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-24T15:43:13Z
dc.date.available2023-01-24T15:43:13Z
dc.date.copyright2023-01-22
dc.date.issued2023-01-22
dc.date.submitted2023-01-23T03:47:39Zen_US
dc.degree.disciplineAnthropologyen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts (M.A.)en_US
dc.description.abstractTo identify unknown skeletal remains, forensic anthropologists provide police with information of who they might belong to, such as ancestry (someone’s familial lineage and geographic origin). The cranium has shape-based traits (morphoscopic traits) that can be scored using visual analysis, and these scores are used to estimate ancestry. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability of Hefner’s (2009) morphoscopic trait scoring method, which assesses sixteen traits, as well as the impact of score disagreement among and within observers on the resulting ancestry estimates. Reliability is determined through intra-observer and inter-observer repeatability tests, whereas the impact of score disagreement is observed by comparing ancestry results generated by statistical programs from each observer’s scores. In general, most traits have high intra-observer agreement, most trait scores are in agreement, and lower inter-observer agreement. Each trait has their own pattern of disagreement, such as a score of 2 and 3 were always confused with each other for the trait anterior nasal spine, but never a score of 1. Score disagreements caused ancestry estimates to change between observers in most cases. Error causing lower inter-observer agreement included experience, tool use, method iteration, prevalence of traits within the study individuals, vague descriptions, and interpretation differences. This is the first study to thoroughly assess and identify sources of error, as well as provide recommendations for improved descriptions/pictorial representation of all sixteen of Hefner’s traits. Overall, Hefner’s method requires pictorial and description improvement for the majority of traits before it can be reliably used among practitioners.en_US
dc.description.noteMay 2023en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship James Gordan Fletcher Graduate Research Awarden_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/37161
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectskeletonen_US
dc.subjectforensic anthropologyen_US
dc.subjectunknown human remainsen_US
dc.subjectmethod testingen_US
dc.subjectmorphoscopic traiten_US
dc.subjectancestry estimationen_US
dc.subjectmissing personen_US
dc.subjectcraniaen_US
dc.subjectpopulationen_US
dc.titleAncestry estimates: Evaluating the reliability of Hefner's cranial morphoscopic methoden_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
local.subject.manitobayesen_US
oaire.awardTitleJoseph Armand Bombardier- Canada Graduate Scholarships Program - Masters Scholarshipsen_US
oaire.awardURIhttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/programs/graduate/graduate-funding/funding-records/node/11238en_US
project.funder.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13039/501100000155en_US
project.funder.nameSocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canadaen_US
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