{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T15:01:28Z","timestamp":1776870088555,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763078400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Regional Fund for Science and Technology of the Azores under the program PRO-SCIENTIA"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,23]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Identified skeletal collections play a crucial role in anthropology, as the biographic information they contain enables the development and adaptation of population-specific identification methods, namely for biological profile (sex, age-at-death, stature, and ancestry). In Portugal, aside from academic systematic research, these collections also permit the training of new professionals while also providing an ethical destination for unclaimed skeletal remains. As of now, mainland Portugal has nine identified skeletal collections representing populations of a great part of its territory. Nevertheless, the population from the Portuguese insular territories, with its unique migration history and distinctive cultural and environmental contexts, has remained unrepresented until now. This paper presents the first identified skeletal collection from the Azores archipelago (CEI\/A\u00e7ores) that results from a pioneering effort between the two Terceira island municipalities (Angra do Hero\u00edsmo and Praia da Vit\u00f3ria) and academic researchers in anthropology. A protocol, established in March of 2023 and still ongoing, enabled the integration of unclaimed human skeletal remains from municipal cemeteries in the CEI\/A\u00e7ores. This collection was assembled not only for scientific research purposes but also with the aim of preventing their cremation or deposition in mass graves, which could lead to the loss of identity and hinder future recovery. Currently, the CEI\/A\u00e7ores is housed and legally possessed by Praia da Vit\u00f3ria municipality and includes 75 identified skeletons of individuals who were born on Terceira island, where they also died between 1978 and 2013. The majority of them (87%) are almost complete or relatively complete. Females (56%, n\u2009=\u200940) are slightly more represented than males (44%, n\u2009=\u200935). The overall age-at-death ranges between 26 and 97\u00a0years (mean\u2009=\u200971.47\u2009\u00b1\u200915.09). Specifically, the ages range for males is 26\u201389\u00a0years (mean\u2009=\u200965.42\u2009\u00b1\u200916.45), and for females, it is 39\u201397\u00a0years (mean\u2009=\u200976.83\u2009\u00b1\u200911.55). Various bone lesions, spanning traumatic, neoplastic, degenerative, and potentially infectious origins, were observed, alongside the presence of prosthetics, pacemakers, and other medical devices. Although the CEI\/A\u00e7ores is still in its early stages and is currently undergoing expansion, it already presents significant research potential, not only at the local level but also on a global scale.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/fsr\/owaf046","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T13:09:42Z","timestamp":1763125782000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The first identified skeletal collection of the Azores archipelago, Portugal"],"prefix":"10.3788","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0202-5802","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e9lix","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra , Coimbra ,","place":["Portugal"]},{"name":"Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra , Coimbra ,","place":["Portugal"]}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8281-7935","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio F\u00e9lix","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Investigation Institute for Agrarian Technologies and Environment, University of the Azores , Angra do Hero\u00edsmo ,","place":["Portugal"]}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2620-7352","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"V\u00edtor","family":"Matos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra , Coimbra ,","place":["Portugal"]},{"name":"Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, University of \u00c9vora , \u00c9vora","place":["Portugal"]}]},{"given":"Armando","family":"Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Humanistic Studies, University of the Azores , Ponta Delgada ,","place":["Portugal"]}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2998-371X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eug\u00e9nia","family":"Cunha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra , Coimbra ,","place":["Portugal"]},{"name":"South Branch, National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF) , Lisboa ,","place":["Portugal"]}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2437-7780","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Teresa","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra , Coimbra ,","place":["Portugal"]}]}],"member":"2099","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026020912474993200_ref1","volume-title":"Identified skeletal collections: the testing ground of 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