Genetic Identification of Human Skeletal Remains in Forensic Context: A Review
This review provides a comprehensive framework for researchers and practitioners seeking to optimize genetic identification workflows in forensic sciences and bioarcheology. These methodological advances have significantly increased identification success rates, especially in cases involving degraded or limited skeletal remains. Reviews such as this one help us to identify methodological gaps, ethical concerns, and future research directions, thereby establishing best practices when working with highly degraded skeletal material, supporting more reliable, standardized, and legally defensible applications of genetic identification in forensic, archeological, and humanitarian contexts.
Authors
- Magda Franco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1604-334X)
- Maria Helena Dias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4711-6038)
- Laura Cainé (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6542-4256)
- António Amorim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7506-4426)
- Heloísa Afonso Costa
- Vânia Mofreita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5279-8871)
- Olena Mukan
- Adelina Rohovska
- Joana Rodrigues (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3242-5008)
- Madalena Henriques (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5797-3856)
Institutions
- National Legal Medicine Institute (PT)
- University of Lisbon (PT)
- University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (PT)
- Universidade do Porto (PT)
- University of Évora (PT)
- Rede de Química e Tecnologia (PT)
- University of Coimbra (PT)
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa (PT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Genes
- Published
- 2026-04-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040492
- Primary Topic
- Forensic and Genetic Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00