ANATOMY APPLIED TO THE LATEST FINDINGS IN THE FIELD OF FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Forensic Anthropology has recently been enriched by a subject in rapid evolution: the identifìcation of die individuals responsible for robberies in various businesses. This is done by analysing the video tapes recorded by surveillance cameras. As reported in the literature, different techniques can be used to identify the people who commit crimes. In this brief report we want to show the outcomes of some of the most relevant successful anthropometric analysis. We will also highlight the techniques used, which were based on: 1- the proportional ratio existing between a human's height and some of the furniture of the premises -both of which can be found in the images recorded by the video-surveillance systems; 2- the assessment of some characteristics of the individual, such as postural behaviours determined by skeletal pathologies, and/or distinguishing physiognomic features which are easy to identify despite the fact that these individual nave, in most cases, their faces disguised by devices such as sunglasses, balaclavas, etc. We would like to stress the method of using simultaneously anatomic references, anthropometric data, perspective rules and mathematical principles that makes this research a type of crossroads between different scientific disciplines. This method also allowed us to offer the magistrate a valid tool for a fair decision. Yet, no single discipline is favoured above the other, they all contribute equally to the solution of the cases analysed. This demonstrates that the integration of various disciplines fortifies science, by providing a practical meaning to largely accepted theoretic principles.