Capitol News

Michigan State University (MSU) is spearheading an effort to improve the identification process of unknown human remains by developing a new computer program. This initiative, led by Joe Hefner, an associate professor of anthropology at MSU, intends to produce a holistic biological profile of human remains, thus making the investigative process more efficient and clear.

The project named MOSAIC, which stands for Methods of Sex, Stature, Affinity and Age for Identification through Computational Standardization, has received funding from the National Institute of Justice with a $2.1 million grant. The program aims to integrate data from skeletal remains into a unified algorithm that prioritizes the critical elements necessary for forming a biological profile.

“MOSAIC will take data from skeletal remains and put them into a single algorithm, which will determine what is and isn’t important for the various components of the biological profile,” explained Joe Hefner. He clarified that, unlike existing programs which handle elements like age, biological sex, and height separately, MOSAIC will assess these factors collectively, thereby reducing bias and potential inaccuracies.

The project eschews the traditional independent analysis of biological factors and instead promotes a comprehensive approach. Hefner described how he traditionally analyzes individual components such as skull shape, tooth development, and long bone length separately. However, he acknowledged the benefits of MOSAIC processing these elements concurrently.

The project's inception stems from Hefner's discussions with Kate Spradley, a professor at Texas State University and a co-principal investigator. Other collaborators include Heather Joy Hecht Edgar from the University of New Mexico, Kate Lesciotto from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Alexandra Klales from Washburn University.

“[Spradley and I] started talking about how we can combine our data, which led us to think about combining other anthropologists’ data,” said Hefner, detailing the collaborative nature of the project. The data collection will involve visits to collections in the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and South Africa, broadening the potential for global application.

The development of MOSAIC will also involve hiring new researchers. Hefner plans to bring a postdoctoral researcher on board, alongside a graduate student who will join in the fall semester of 2025. These hires will assist in the gathering and analysis of skeletal collections needed to create the MOSAIC database.

“We’re going to get to train the next generation of forensic anthropologists at MSU,” Hefner stated, emphasizing the educational aspect and future impact of the initiative. He expressed pride in the project's potential to create a “true paradigm shift in how data are collected, analyzed, and interpreted in forensic anthropology.”

Hefner is confident that the work undertaken in this project will be vital even two decades from now, continuing to influence the field significantly.