2026-05-21T14:30:52Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/request

oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2019122025-07-24T22:55:44Zoai_pmh:repo_items

201912 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.201912 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 T23:59:59 6 pages Cortes, Alexander Harris, Jacob Bolhofner, Katelyn Barrett, The Honors College School of Interdisciplinary Forensics Bone surface modifications (BSMs) due to sharp-edged tools can yield important forensic data regarding blade type. For this pilot study, defleshed pig femur fragments were examined under various lighting, photographed with a Dino-Lite digital microscope, and 3D scanned with a Keyence VR-6000 profilometer. Utilizing the VR- 3000 eight morphometric variables were extracted: maximum depth, five line average depth, maximum cross sectional angle, five line average angle, length, width, surface area, and volume for every mark. A Bayesian classification model, following Harris et al. 2017, was trained on 85 percent of the data and tested with the rest of the 15 percent (five serrated-edge, five straight-edge, five crocodile-feeding marks). The model misclassified exactly one mark in each category, yielding 80 percent accuracy overall. These results demonstrate the value of quantitative 3D morphometrics, combined with probabilistic inference, to build upon and potentially replace qualitative, vision based estimates in forensic sharp force trauma analysis. Can Bone Surface Modifications from straight and serrated metal blades be accurately differentiated?