From unknown to known: Identification of the remains at the mausoleum of fosse Ardeatine.

During the Second World War, on 24th March 1944, 335 Italians were massacred near Rome by the occupying forces of Nazi Germany. Four months later forensic examination led to the identification of 323 out of 335 victims. After approximately 60 years, the identification of the remaining unidentified twelve victims began with anthropological and genetic analysis carried out by a team of Italian forensic experts. Anthropological analysis was performed in field in order to confirm the sex of each victim and verify the presence of only one individual in each grave for a correct sampling. Selected bone fragments for each individual were then collected and transferred to the laboratory for genetic analysis. Although the anthropological ante mortem information was limited, morphological and metrical data was collected for a possible future identification of the victims. Subsequently, the typing of autosomal loci, Y-STR and mtDNA D-loop region of all bone and available reference samples was conducted. LR and cumulative LRs obtained from autosomal STR and Y-STR results confirmed the alleged relationship between three victims and their relatives with values over 104 (one sample) and 106 (two samples). Therefore, the genetic analysis offered the families the possibility of replacing the number of the grave with the name of the victim.

Early hominin dental remains from the Plio-Pleistocene site of Drimolen, South Africa.

The Plio-Pleistocene fossil hominin site of Drimolen is located approximately 5.5km north of the other well-known South African Plio-Pleistocene sites (Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, Coopers). It was discovered by A.W. Keyser in 1992. Systematic excavations led to the recovery of a remarkable number of fossil vertebrate taxa, including hominins. Most of the specimens collected consist of isolated teeth or those in jaws. The aim of this paper is to provide a morphological description of the dental specimens. The taxonomic allocation of each specimen is also reported, either confirming or revising previous provisional attributions. The analysis confirms the occurrence of two hominin species, Paranthropus robustus and Homo sp. With over 80 fossil hominin specimens recovered so far, Drimolen is the second largest sample of P. robustus, after Swartkrans. At Drimolen, P. robustus is represented mostly by craniodental specimens (63) among which are 47 isolated teeth and the remainder are maxillary and mandibular fragments with teeth. The assemblage markedly increases the dental sample of P. robustus. Furthermore, the Drimolen sample includes tooth classes not present in the Swartkrans or Kromdraai samples. The new tooth classes include both deciduous upper lateral incisors (DNH 31) and canines (DNH 23). In the dental sample described here there are nine specimens probably attributable to Homo, although a specific attribution is not yet possible. These specimens expand the small sample of early Homo from South African sites. Basic dimensions (MD and BL) of the Drimolen dental remains are compared in a preliminary analysis with other hominin samples. This analysis delineates the Drimolen P. robustus dental sample as characterized by smaller teeth overall than the Swartkrans sample (and in some cases also smaller than the Kromdraai sample), as well as a greater size range.