Childhood and Adulthood Residency Prediction Using Strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and Oxygen (δ18O) Isotopes for Unidentified Deceased Migrants Recovered in Southern Texas | Forensic Anthropology Main Navigation Main Content Sidebar Current Archives Search Submit Subscribe Early View Toggle search Register Login Search Toggle navigation Home Archives Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022) Research Articles Childhood and Adulthood Residency Prediction Using Strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and Oxygen (δ18O) Isotopes for Unidentified Deceased Migrants Recovered in Southern Texas Article Sidebar Requires Subscription or Fee PDF (USD 25) Requires Subscription or Fee HTML (USD 25) Published: Jan 18, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5744/fa.2020.0054 Keywords: forensic science, forensic anthropology, isotope analysis, undocumented border crossers, humanitarian crisis, strontium and oxygen Main Article Content Robyn T. Kramer Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX Eric J. Bartelink Department of Anthropology, California State University, Chico, CA Abstract Strontium and oxygen isotope values are used in conjunction with a maximum likelihood assignment model to predict the childhood and adulthood geographic residences of 20 deceased migrants recovered along the México-U.S. border in south Texas. The objectives of this research are to determine (1) if the childhood and adulthood residency assignments predict the same geographic region, (2) if using the predicted residential history/nationality as a filter on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) reduces the number of potential matching missing person reports, and (3) if we should target teeth or bone as the optimal hard tissue to sample. We found that 12 of the 20 cases (60%) predict similar regions of residency using isotopes derived from bone bioapatite (adulthood residency) and tooth bioapatite (childhood residency). When predicted residential history/nationality data were used as a filter in NamUs, there was a significant reduction in the mean number of case searches (mean = 1568.5 ± 505.3 [1 SD] vs. 107.9 ± 142.6 [1 SD]; t = 12.441, df = 22, p < 0.001, unequal variances assumed). These results demonstrate the utility of isotope data for narrowing down the region of origin and in turn the number of missing persons records to review. Finally, we recommend that death investigators at minimum collect dental samples (premolars or molars) for future unidentified migrant cases to aid in identification efforts utilizing isotope analytical methods. Bone bioapatite samples can provide more recent residential history information but should be used in conjunction with tooth enamel data. Article Details Issue Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022) Section Research Articles sidebar-links ABOUT Overview Editorial Board Publication Ethics Contact CONTRIBUTORS Author Guidelines Book Review Guidelines Open Access Policy Special Issue Proposals Submit an Article SUBSCRIBERS Subscribe/Renew Recommend to Your Librarian NEWS SIGN-UPNEWS SIGN-UP Tweets by @JForensicAnth Most Read What Are We Really Estimating in Forensic Anthropological Practice, Population Affinity or Ancestry? Introduction Estimating the Number of Individuals in a Large Commingled Assemblage Challenges to Identifications of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp Cemetery Remains Unidentified Bodies in the Mexican Context ISSN: 2573-5020 EISSN: 2573-5039   Main Office: 2046 NE Waldo Road Suite 2100 Gainesville, FL 32609 Phone: 352-392-1351 Email: journals@upress.ufl.edu Navigation Home Search Current Archives Subscribe