Low recovery rate of intact crania in conflict-related contexts necessitates the use of postcranial elements for ancestry estimation. This study aimed to develop a new method to discriminate between Korean and U.S. White casualties from the Korean War using vertebrae. Maximum body heights of C2 through L5 were measured from 75 Korean and 51 U.S. males to generate discriminant functions. U.S. vertebral heights were statistically greater than Koreans in 18 out of 23 vertebrae (C2, C4-6, T3-6, and T8-L5). The functions with lumbar vertebrae tended to yield higher correct classification ratios (CCR) than those with cervical or thoracic vertebrae. Inclusion of the femur and tibia lengths in the vertebrae-involved functions enhanced the CCR's. Discriminant functions using the femur and tibia length were also presented. The results of this study are expected to complement the current practices of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification, which are primarily based on cranial and dental morphology.
Keywords: Korean; Korean War; US White; ancestry estimation; forensic science; vertebrae.
© 2019 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.