The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence
The identification of human remains is challenging mostly due to the bad condition of the remains and the available background information that is sometimes limited. The current case report is related to the identification of an unknown soldier from the Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920). The...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Genes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/11/1722 |
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| author | Anu Aaspõllu Raili Allmäe Fred Puss Walther Parson Küllike Pihkva Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli Arnold Unt |
| author_facet | Anu Aaspõllu Raili Allmäe Fred Puss Walther Parson Küllike Pihkva Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli Arnold Unt |
| author_sort | Anu Aaspõllu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The identification of human remains is challenging mostly due to the bad condition of the remains and the available background information that is sometimes limited. The current case report is related to the identification of an unknown soldier from the Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920). The case includes an anthropological study of the remains, examinations of documents found with the exhumed remains, and kinship estimations based on archival documents, and DNA analyses. As the preliminary data pointed to remains of male origin, Y-chromosomal STR (short tandem repeat) analyses of 22 Y-STR loci were used to analyze the exhumed teeth. Reference samples from individuals from two paternal lineages were collected based on archival documents. Y-chromosomal STR results for the tooth samples were consistent with a patrilineal relationship to only one reference sample out of two proposed paternal lineages. Based on the provided pedigrees in the consistent case, the Y-STR results are approximately four million times more likely if the tooth sample originated from an individual related along the paternal line to the matching reference sample, than if the tooth sample originated from another person in the general population. Special considerations have to be met when limited evidence is available. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:28:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b7c5c1780e04a8f819c40ebe87ce249 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:28:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genes |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b7c5c1780e04a8f819c40ebe87ce2492023-11-22T23:27:50ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252021-10-011211172210.3390/genes12111722The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of IndependenceAnu Aaspõllu0Raili Allmäe1Fred Puss2Walther Parson3Küllike Pihkva4Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli5Arnold Unt6Department of Nutrition Research, National Institute for Health Development, 11619 Tallinn, EstoniaArchaeological Research Collection, Tallinn University, 10130 Tallinn, EstoniaFaculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, 50090 Tartu, EstoniaInstitute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, AustriaPreservation Department in Tartu, National Archives of Estonia, 50411 Tartu, EstoniaDocument Department, Estonian Forensic Science Institute, 13419 Tallinn, EstoniaEstonian War Museum-General Laidoner Museum, 74001 Tallinn, EstoniaThe identification of human remains is challenging mostly due to the bad condition of the remains and the available background information that is sometimes limited. The current case report is related to the identification of an unknown soldier from the Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920). The case includes an anthropological study of the remains, examinations of documents found with the exhumed remains, and kinship estimations based on archival documents, and DNA analyses. As the preliminary data pointed to remains of male origin, Y-chromosomal STR (short tandem repeat) analyses of 22 Y-STR loci were used to analyze the exhumed teeth. Reference samples from individuals from two paternal lineages were collected based on archival documents. Y-chromosomal STR results for the tooth samples were consistent with a patrilineal relationship to only one reference sample out of two proposed paternal lineages. Based on the provided pedigrees in the consistent case, the Y-STR results are approximately four million times more likely if the tooth sample originated from an individual related along the paternal line to the matching reference sample, than if the tooth sample originated from another person in the general population. Special considerations have to be met when limited evidence is available.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/11/1722human remains identificationanthropological assessmentgenealogy/kinship analysisDNA typingY-chromosomal STR haplotypes |
| spellingShingle | Anu Aaspõllu Raili Allmäe Fred Puss Walther Parson Küllike Pihkva Kairi Kriiska-Maiväli Arnold Unt The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence Genes human remains identification anthropological assessment genealogy/kinship analysis DNA typing Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes |
| title | The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence |
| title_full | The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence |
| title_fullStr | The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence |
| title_short | The Unique Identification of an Unknown Soldier from the Estonian War of Independence |
| title_sort | unique identification of an unknown soldier from the estonian war of independence |
| topic | human remains identification anthropological assessment genealogy/kinship analysis DNA typing Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/11/1722 |
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