Mathematical matching of a dentition to bitemarks: use and evaluation of affine methods.
Skin is a less than ideal medium for recording bitemark impressions, and assessing the causes and magnitude of distortion has long been a question in forensic odontology. Affine methods have been suggested as a mathematical means to attempt to quantify the deformation typically seen with a bitemark. Thirty-six bites were created on unembalmed human cadavers with a single dentition. Three mathematical affine methods were evaluated to determine if the distortion could be described mathematically and effectively removed. A measure of mismatch of a dentition to a bitemark was developed based on landmark measurements establishing a numerical basis for comparisons of dentitions to bitemarks. Results indicate high levels of distortion in the bitemarks not attributable to affine deformations or measurement error, suggesting that non-uniform anisotropic properties of skin mostly contribute to the distortion seen, thus concluding that bitemark distortion cannot be corrected by using affine transformations.
Department of Physics, Canisius College, 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208, USA. sheets@canisius.edu
H David
HD
Sheets
Mary A
MA
Bush
D001734:Bites, Human / Q000473:pathology*; D002102:Cadaver; D003817:Dentition; D005553:Forensic Dentistry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008954:Models, Biological; D003765:Models, Dental