This final research report describes a project to develop a searchable online database, OsteoID, that could be freely accessed anywhere via computers or smartphones, to help any forensics personnel, law enforcement or students to determine the species of an unknown skeletal element based on simple measurements and visual comparisons.
The authors of this report discuss a project to develop a searchable online database, OsteoID, to enable individuals such as forensic anthropologists, forensic pathologists, medical examiners, coroners, medicolegal personnel such as crime scene and death investigators, and law enforcement personnel in determining the species of an unknown skeletal element based on simple measurements and visual comparisons. The authors also note that the project aimed to explore the utility of discriminant functions or other statistical measures in facilitating human versus nonhuman classifications and special identifications. As a result of the project, the OsteoID online web tool was successfully created and can be used to search and filter images of human and nonhuman skeletal elements via common names, genus, species, element type, or osteometrics. The website also provides links to additional resources, such as images, 3D scans, and metric data. The authors suggest that the data available through the website may be used for case comparisons or future research.