John Albanese | University of Windsor (original) (raw)

Conference Presentations by John Albanese

Research paper thumbnail of Can we improve the reliability of sex estimations in archaeological populations by using non-population specific metric methods?

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The Archaeology of Southern Ontario Bioarchaeology: A Case Study of the Rickley Site

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Intra-and Inter-Observer Error When Estimating Age at Death Using Various Skeletal Elements

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Papers by John Albanese

Research paper thumbnail of Skeletal Manifestations of Gender-Affirming Medical Interventions for Aiding in the Preliminary Identification of Trans Individuals

Humans, Jun 18, 2024

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Reflections on methods to estimate race and ancestry on reference osteological samples in the Brazilian context

Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 2021

Summary Backgroud The current article is part of the paper presented at the Colloque Internationa... more Summary Backgroud The current article is part of the paper presented at the Colloque International Anthropo-Responsabilite (28–29 janvier 2021–musee du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris). Methodology The Teaching and Research Centre of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology (NEPAAF) at the Laboratory of Archaeological Studies (LEA) from the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP) have developed a pioneer project which deals with the compilation and organization of documentary data (antemortem phase), preparation, curation and bioanthropological analysis of the skeletons (postmortem phase) of an identified osteological collection of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Forensic Sciences (IEPCF) in order to conduct research and provide advanced training in Forensics. The IEPCF collection currently includes 143 unclaimed skeletons with extensive documentation including sex, age-at-death, statute, ancestry, place of birth and death, date of birth/death and cause of death were obtained from the public cemetery records. Identified osteological collections have been traditionally used to develop and test methods in Forensic Anthropology to identify the biological profile through estimation of age-at-death, sex, stature, and ancestry. Given the history of Brazil, the amassing of osteological reference collections is an important a challenge to be overcome to address the reality of violence and death. The main goal of the project is to create an anthropological sample to maximize the research and training potential, and to adapt international standard procedures and methods to Brazilian forensic contexts. Results-discussion Reliminary results from assessing ancestry methods using this collection are presented in this paper to assess some of the ethical and human implications of the continued use of race and ancestry in forensic anthropology. Using a sub-sample of 36 individuals (21 males and 15 females), two major methods were tested for their utility in a forensic context. Both the morphoscopic and metric methods performed poorly. Given the parameters of the blind testing, both methods provided reliable information that matched antemortem records equivalent to chance, and in 47–50% of the cases provide wrong information. Conclusion The results have implications for the adaption of methods to a forensic context in Brazil, and internationally with respect to human rights investigations.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology as Tools for Reconciliation in Investigations into Unmarked Graves at Indian Residential Schools

McGill-Queen's University Press eBooks, Oct 27, 2021

Co-authors: Katherine L. Nichols, Eldon Yellowhorn, Deanna Reader, Emily Holland, Dongya Yang, Jo... more Co-authors: Katherine L. Nichols, Eldon Yellowhorn, Deanna Reader, Emily Holland, Dongya Yang, John Albanese, Darian Kennedy, Elton Taylor, and Hugo FV Cardoso Book: Royally Wronged - The Royal Society of Canada’s Role in the Marginalization of Indigenous Knowledge and Going Forward Editors: C Backhouse, C Milton, M Kovach, A Perry, and J Evans Press: McGill-Queen’s University Press URL: https://www.mqup.ca/royally-wronged-products-9780228009030.php

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Data after the fact? Field photography to post hoc hard data

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Similarities and Difference Between the Temy Collection and the Grant Cdlecfion : The Implications of Collection and Sample Selection When Developing Sex Determination Methods

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A new metric method for sex determination using the pelvis and femur

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Universal methodology for developing univariate sample-specific sex determination methods: an example using the epicondylar breadth of the humerus

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2005

In this paper we present a new methodology for developing sample-specific metric sex determinatio... more In this paper we present a new methodology for developing sample-specific metric sex determination methods using unidentified individuals that can be applied to archaeological samples. This methodology does not require the assessment of sex of a large sample from pelvic morphological features as a first step in developing the method and instead is developed from a sample of individuals with sex unknown. The procedure involves using the overall mean of a measurement collected from the sample of unknowns as the ...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A Critical Review of the Methodology for the Study of Secular Change Using Skeletal Data

Secular changes or secular trends are non-genetic changes that occur over multiple generations in... more Secular changes or secular trends are non-genetic changes that occur over multiple generations in a population. The changes are not due to evolution because there are no corresponding changes in allele frequencies in the population. These changes typically correspond with changes in living conditions and are reflected in the population means for growth and development, and not necessarily in any one individual. The most studied secular change is change in stature or height. Improvements in living conditions have resulted in measurable increases or positive secular changes in stature from parents to children. The most obvious cases have been observed when comparing first generation immigrants to their children. Conversely, decreases or negative secular changes in mean population stature from parents to children have been documented when living conditions worsen due to natural disasters, wars, or prolonged economic hardships. Several sources of data can be used for the study of secula...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Bioarchaeology and Identified Skeletal Collections: Problems and Potential Solutions

"Accurate and precise assessments of sex and age at death of human skeletal remains are the ... more "Accurate and precise assessments of sex and age at death of human skeletal remains are the essential first steps in the bioarchaeological reconstruction of past human populations, including patterns of morbidity and mortality, demographic reconstruction, diet and health, mobility and social status. Identified skeletal collections have been indispensable for developing and testing the methods used to estimate age and sex. The value of these collections is entirely based on the quality of the documentary information for any one individual and for a collection as a whole. However, there are limitations and pitfalls involved in research using identified collections. How does a researcher know if ‘known ages’ are indeed correct? If a collection has been curated over the course of many decades, does it constitute a population, or simply an assembly of individuals unrelated in time and space? How should such a collection be sampled? Further problems and limitations associated with each collection are context-specific; for instance, the politico-economic context of the collection process can have an enormous impact on the structure and composition of the collection. Why were some skeletons included in the collection and have the retained documentary data been assessed for accuracy? Drawing on our experience conducting research using various identified collections from around the world (Coimbra, Dart, Forensic Anthropology Databank, Grant, Huntington, Lisbon, Pretoria, Spitalfields and Terry), in this paper we present some practical suggestions for overcoming the possible problems with reference collections and maximizing their research potential. "

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Population variation in diaphyseal growth and age estimation of juvenile skeletal remains

Remodeling Forensic Skeletal Age

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Linear and Appositional Growth in Children as Indicators of Social and Economic Change during the Medieval Islamic to Christian transition in Santarém, Portugal

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Commentary on: Stephan CN, Ross AH. Letter to the Editor—A Code of Practice for the Establishment and Use of Authentic Human Skeleton Collections in Forensic Anthropology. J Forensic Sci 2018;63(5):1604–7

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Commentary on: Stephan CN, Ross AH. Letter to the Editor—A Code of Practice for the Establishment and Use of Authentic Human Skeleton Collections in Forensic Anthropology. J Forensic Sci 2018;63(5):1604–7

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Commentary on: Stephan CN, Ross AH. Letter to the Editor—A Code of Practice for the Establishment and Use of Authentic Human Skeleton Collections in Forensic Anthropology. J Forensic Sci 2018;63(5):1604–7

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Human-like Traits in Early Hominids: Misplaced Analogies in the Interpretation the African Archaeological Record

Totem the University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology, 2011

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Identified skeletal reference collections and the study of human variation

A comprehensive model that builds on cemetery studies theory and new biocultural synthesis theory... more A comprehensive model that builds on cemetery studies theory and new biocultural synthesis theory is presented for investigating human variation using reference collections. This model is used to investigate several hypotheses related to the use of skeletal reference collections and the race concept in skeletal biology. Are racial categories or equivalent terms useful for investigating human variation? Have biases in reference collections resulted in a misinterpretation of human variation? Is it possible to identify and control for some of the biases in reference collections and develop identification methods that are still useful in the 21st century? Documentary, historical and skeletal data were collected from two different reference collections: the Terry and Coimbra Collections. Some data from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank (FDB) were also used in conjunction with these two collections in analyses related to patterns of sexual dimorphism, sex determination methods, and asse...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A Method for Estimating Sex Using the Clavicle, Humerus, Radius, and Ulna

Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2013

Sex estimation from skeletal remains can be an important part of preliminary identification. The ... more Sex estimation from skeletal remains can be an important part of preliminary identification. The best source of information for estimating sex is the pelvis but it is not always available for analysis. For these cases, a probabilistic sex estimation method is presented using combinations of standard and alternative measurements of the clavicle, humerus, radius, and ulna. Various equations are developed that are not population specific and that are applicable in various recovery scenarios. The equations were tested using four independent samples (n > 370), including a forensic sample. Allocation accuracies vary by test sample and equation and are consistently good (87.4-97.5%) except for a sample of very small males that show the extreme effects of poverty and mortality bias. For many of the cases where allocation was incorrect, the probabilistic approach indicated that no confidence should be placed in the incorrect allocation and the unknown should be classified as sex indeterminate.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Can we improve the reliability of sex estimations in archaeological populations by using non-population specific metric methods?

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The Archaeology of Southern Ontario Bioarchaeology: A Case Study of the Rickley Site

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Intra-and Inter-Observer Error When Estimating Age at Death Using Various Skeletal Elements

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Skeletal Manifestations of Gender-Affirming Medical Interventions for Aiding in the Preliminary Identification of Trans Individuals

Humans, Jun 18, 2024

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Reflections on methods to estimate race and ancestry on reference osteological samples in the Brazilian context

Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 2021

Summary Backgroud The current article is part of the paper presented at the Colloque Internationa... more Summary Backgroud The current article is part of the paper presented at the Colloque International Anthropo-Responsabilite (28–29 janvier 2021–musee du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris). Methodology The Teaching and Research Centre of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology (NEPAAF) at the Laboratory of Archaeological Studies (LEA) from the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP) have developed a pioneer project which deals with the compilation and organization of documentary data (antemortem phase), preparation, curation and bioanthropological analysis of the skeletons (postmortem phase) of an identified osteological collection of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Forensic Sciences (IEPCF) in order to conduct research and provide advanced training in Forensics. The IEPCF collection currently includes 143 unclaimed skeletons with extensive documentation including sex, age-at-death, statute, ancestry, place of birth and death, date of birth/death and cause of death were obtained from the public cemetery records. Identified osteological collections have been traditionally used to develop and test methods in Forensic Anthropology to identify the biological profile through estimation of age-at-death, sex, stature, and ancestry. Given the history of Brazil, the amassing of osteological reference collections is an important a challenge to be overcome to address the reality of violence and death. The main goal of the project is to create an anthropological sample to maximize the research and training potential, and to adapt international standard procedures and methods to Brazilian forensic contexts. Results-discussion Reliminary results from assessing ancestry methods using this collection are presented in this paper to assess some of the ethical and human implications of the continued use of race and ancestry in forensic anthropology. Using a sub-sample of 36 individuals (21 males and 15 females), two major methods were tested for their utility in a forensic context. Both the morphoscopic and metric methods performed poorly. Given the parameters of the blind testing, both methods provided reliable information that matched antemortem records equivalent to chance, and in 47–50% of the cases provide wrong information. Conclusion The results have implications for the adaption of methods to a forensic context in Brazil, and internationally with respect to human rights investigations.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology as Tools for Reconciliation in Investigations into Unmarked Graves at Indian Residential Schools

McGill-Queen's University Press eBooks, Oct 27, 2021

Co-authors: Katherine L. Nichols, Eldon Yellowhorn, Deanna Reader, Emily Holland, Dongya Yang, Jo... more Co-authors: Katherine L. Nichols, Eldon Yellowhorn, Deanna Reader, Emily Holland, Dongya Yang, John Albanese, Darian Kennedy, Elton Taylor, and Hugo FV Cardoso Book: Royally Wronged - The Royal Society of Canada’s Role in the Marginalization of Indigenous Knowledge and Going Forward Editors: C Backhouse, C Milton, M Kovach, A Perry, and J Evans Press: McGill-Queen’s University Press URL: https://www.mqup.ca/royally-wronged-products-9780228009030.php

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Data after the fact? Field photography to post hoc hard data

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Similarities and Difference Between the Temy Collection and the Grant Cdlecfion : The Implications of Collection and Sample Selection When Developing Sex Determination Methods

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A new metric method for sex determination using the pelvis and femur

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Universal methodology for developing univariate sample-specific sex determination methods: an example using the epicondylar breadth of the humerus

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2005

In this paper we present a new methodology for developing sample-specific metric sex determinatio... more In this paper we present a new methodology for developing sample-specific metric sex determination methods using unidentified individuals that can be applied to archaeological samples. This methodology does not require the assessment of sex of a large sample from pelvic morphological features as a first step in developing the method and instead is developed from a sample of individuals with sex unknown. The procedure involves using the overall mean of a measurement collected from the sample of unknowns as the ...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A Critical Review of the Methodology for the Study of Secular Change Using Skeletal Data

Secular changes or secular trends are non-genetic changes that occur over multiple generations in... more Secular changes or secular trends are non-genetic changes that occur over multiple generations in a population. The changes are not due to evolution because there are no corresponding changes in allele frequencies in the population. These changes typically correspond with changes in living conditions and are reflected in the population means for growth and development, and not necessarily in any one individual. The most studied secular change is change in stature or height. Improvements in living conditions have resulted in measurable increases or positive secular changes in stature from parents to children. The most obvious cases have been observed when comparing first generation immigrants to their children. Conversely, decreases or negative secular changes in mean population stature from parents to children have been documented when living conditions worsen due to natural disasters, wars, or prolonged economic hardships. Several sources of data can be used for the study of secula...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Bioarchaeology and Identified Skeletal Collections: Problems and Potential Solutions

"Accurate and precise assessments of sex and age at death of human skeletal remains are the ... more "Accurate and precise assessments of sex and age at death of human skeletal remains are the essential first steps in the bioarchaeological reconstruction of past human populations, including patterns of morbidity and mortality, demographic reconstruction, diet and health, mobility and social status. Identified skeletal collections have been indispensable for developing and testing the methods used to estimate age and sex. The value of these collections is entirely based on the quality of the documentary information for any one individual and for a collection as a whole. However, there are limitations and pitfalls involved in research using identified collections. How does a researcher know if ‘known ages’ are indeed correct? If a collection has been curated over the course of many decades, does it constitute a population, or simply an assembly of individuals unrelated in time and space? How should such a collection be sampled? Further problems and limitations associated with each collection are context-specific; for instance, the politico-economic context of the collection process can have an enormous impact on the structure and composition of the collection. Why were some skeletons included in the collection and have the retained documentary data been assessed for accuracy? Drawing on our experience conducting research using various identified collections from around the world (Coimbra, Dart, Forensic Anthropology Databank, Grant, Huntington, Lisbon, Pretoria, Spitalfields and Terry), in this paper we present some practical suggestions for overcoming the possible problems with reference collections and maximizing their research potential. "

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Population variation in diaphyseal growth and age estimation of juvenile skeletal remains

Remodeling Forensic Skeletal Age

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Linear and Appositional Growth in Children as Indicators of Social and Economic Change during the Medieval Islamic to Christian transition in Santarém, Portugal

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Commentary on: Stephan CN, Ross AH. Letter to the Editor—A Code of Practice for the Establishment and Use of Authentic Human Skeleton Collections in Forensic Anthropology. J Forensic Sci 2018;63(5):1604–7

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Commentary on: Stephan CN, Ross AH. Letter to the Editor—A Code of Practice for the Establishment and Use of Authentic Human Skeleton Collections in Forensic Anthropology. J Forensic Sci 2018;63(5):1604–7

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Commentary on: Stephan CN, Ross AH. Letter to the Editor—A Code of Practice for the Establishment and Use of Authentic Human Skeleton Collections in Forensic Anthropology. J Forensic Sci 2018;63(5):1604–7

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Human-like Traits in Early Hominids: Misplaced Analogies in the Interpretation the African Archaeological Record

Totem the University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology, 2011

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Identified skeletal reference collections and the study of human variation

A comprehensive model that builds on cemetery studies theory and new biocultural synthesis theory... more A comprehensive model that builds on cemetery studies theory and new biocultural synthesis theory is presented for investigating human variation using reference collections. This model is used to investigate several hypotheses related to the use of skeletal reference collections and the race concept in skeletal biology. Are racial categories or equivalent terms useful for investigating human variation? Have biases in reference collections resulted in a misinterpretation of human variation? Is it possible to identify and control for some of the biases in reference collections and develop identification methods that are still useful in the 21st century? Documentary, historical and skeletal data were collected from two different reference collections: the Terry and Coimbra Collections. Some data from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank (FDB) were also used in conjunction with these two collections in analyses related to patterns of sexual dimorphism, sex determination methods, and asse...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of A Method for Estimating Sex Using the Clavicle, Humerus, Radius, and Ulna

Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2013

Sex estimation from skeletal remains can be an important part of preliminary identification. The ... more Sex estimation from skeletal remains can be an important part of preliminary identification. The best source of information for estimating sex is the pelvis but it is not always available for analysis. For these cases, a probabilistic sex estimation method is presented using combinations of standard and alternative measurements of the clavicle, humerus, radius, and ulna. Various equations are developed that are not population specific and that are applicable in various recovery scenarios. The equations were tested using four independent samples (n > 370), including a forensic sample. Allocation accuracies vary by test sample and equation and are consistently good (87.4-97.5%) except for a sample of very small males that show the extreme effects of poverty and mortality bias. For many of the cases where allocation was incorrect, the probabilistic approach indicated that no confidence should be placed in the incorrect allocation and the unknown should be classified as sex indeterminate.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Do group-specific equations provide the best estimates of stature?

Forensic Science International, 2016

An estimate of stature can be used by a forensic anthropologist with the preliminary identificati... more An estimate of stature can be used by a forensic anthropologist with the preliminary identification of an unknown individual when human skeletal remains are recovered. Fordisc is a computer application that can be used to estimate stature; like many other methods it requires the user to assign an unknown individual to a specific group defined by sex, race/ancestry, and century of birth before an equation is applied. The assumption is that a group-specific equation controls for group differences and should provide the best results most often. In this paper we assess the utility and benefits of using group-specific equations to estimate stature using Fordisc. Using the maximum length of the humerus and the maximum length of the femur from individuals with documented stature, we address the question: Do sex-, race/ancestry- and century-specific stature equations provide the best results when estimating stature? The data for our sample of 19th Century White males (n=28) were entered into Fordisc and stature was estimated using 22 different equation options for a total of 616 trials: 19th and 20th Century Black males, 19th and 20th Century Black females, 19th and 20th Century White females, 19th and 20th Century White males, 19th and 20th Century any, and 20th Century Hispanic males. The equations were assessed for utility in any one case (how many times the estimated range bracketed the documented stature) and in aggregate using 1-way ANOVA and other approaches. This group-specific equation that should have provided the best results was outperformed by several other equations for both the femur and humerus. These results suggest that group-specific equations do not provide better results for estimating stature while at the same time are more difficult to apply because an unknown must be allocated to a given group before stature can be estimated.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between cadaver, living and forensic stature: A review of current knowledge and a test using a sample of adult Portuguese males

Forensic science international, 2016

The use of cadaver length and forensic stature as a proxy for living standing height has not been... more The use of cadaver length and forensic stature as a proxy for living standing height has not been scrutinized in detail. In this paper we present a brief review of the current knowledge on the relationship between cadaver, living and forensic stature; assess the magnitude and nature of the differences between these three measures of stature; and investigate the potential impact of these differences in forensic contexts. The study uses a sample of 84 males who were autopsied in 2008 at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Porto, Portugal), where stature data were collected from three different sources: cadaver stature was obtained from the corpse prior to autopsy, living stature was obtained from military conscription records and forensic stature was obtained from national citizenship identification card records. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and linear regression are used to analyze the data. The results show that cadaver stature is the highest measure, fo...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of An alternative approach for estimating stature from long bones that is not population- or group-specific

Forensic science international, Jan 19, 2015

An accurate and precise estimate of stature can be very useful in the analysis of human remains i... more An accurate and precise estimate of stature can be very useful in the analysis of human remains in forensic cases. A problem with many stature estimation methods is that an unknown individual must first be assigned to a specific group before a method can be applied. Group membership has been defined by sex, age, year of birth, race, ancestry, continental origin, nationality or a combination of these criteria. Univariate and multivariate sex-specific and generic equations are presented here that do not require an unknown individual to be assigned to a group before stature is estimated. The equations were developed using linear regression with a sample (n=244) from the Terry Collection and tested using independent samples from the Forensic Anthropology Databank (n=136) and the Lisbon Collection (n=85). Tests with these independent samples show that (1) the femur provides the best univariate results; (2) the best multivariate equation includes the humerus, femur and tibia lengths; (3) ...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact