Ancestry estimation in forensic anthropology: accuracy of the AncesTrees software in a Brazilian sample.

Autor: Jacometti V; Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14048-900 Ribeirão Preto, Brazil., Guimarães MA; Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14048-900 Ribeirão Preto, Brazil., de Moraes LOC; Discipline of Descriptive and Topografic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, 04024-002 São Paulo, Brazil., Marques SR; Discipline of Descriptive and Topografic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, 04024-002 São Paulo, Brazil., Cunha E; Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.; Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal., da Silva RHA; Department of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Odontology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14040-904 Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Forensic sciences research [Forensic Sci Res] 2023 Nov 10; Vol. 8 (3), pp. 202-210. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 10 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad030
Abstrakt: The objective of this study is to analyze the accuracy and applicability of the AncesTrees software with respect to a set of cranial measurements of a Brazilian sample consisting of 114 identified skulls from two osteological collections, predominantly composed of European ( n  = 59), African ( n  = 35), and admixed individuals ( n  = 20). Twenty-four different craniometric measurements are performed and input to AncesTrees via two algorithms, one of which is used in three configurations, with different ancestral groups integrated in the model. The software exhibits superior performance in the estimation of European individuals, reaching 73% accuracy, compared with 66% in the African individuals. Those individuals classified as admixed produce a variety of ancestral classifications, mainly European. Overall, the most accurate combination of AncesTrees is obtained using ancestralForest with only the European and African groups integrated into the algorithm, where the accuracy reaches 70%. The applicability of this software to a specific population is fragile because of the high admixing load, making it necessary to create a more representative anthropometric database of the Brazilian people.
Key Points: Ancestry estimation methods are seldom validated in Brazil.AncesTrees performed poorly on our sample, with a maximum accuracy of 70%.Brazil's highly mixed population hinders ancestry estimation.Mixed individuals (pardos) are predominantly classified as Europeans.The insertion of Brazilian metric data into the AncesTrees database would produce better results.
(© The Author(s) 2023. Published by OUP on behalf of the Academy of Forensic Science.)
Databáze: MEDLINE