Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41366558›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of legal medicine2026

Global trends in DNA research on aged human skeletal remains: a bibliometric analysis (1989-2024).

Jiao Luo, Zhiqi Hua, Ji Chen, Qi Yang, Qi Wei, Sitong Liu, Yongjie Cao, Anqi Chen, Chengtao Li, Ranran Zhang and 1 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of legal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jiao Luo *Institute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Zhiqi Hua *Institute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Ji ChenInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Qi YangInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Qi WeiInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Sitong LiuInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Yongjie CaoInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Anqi ChenInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Chengtao LiInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
Ranran ZhangInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China. zhangranran@fudan.edu.cn.
Suhua ZhangInstitute of Forensic Science, Fudan University, No. 131 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, PR China. zhang_suhua@fudan.edu.cn.

Funding

National Key R&D Program of China 2024YFC3306701; 2024YFC3306702
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The DNA analysis of aged human skeletal remains is pivotal to forensic genetics, forensic anthropology, and archaeology. Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, we analyzed 982 publications from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection to evaluate publication trends, key contributors, influential journals and articles, and the thematic evolution of the field through co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and temporal overlay mapping. The results indicate the publication in this field began in 1989 and peaked at 72 articles in 2021. The most prolific countries were the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Leading institutions included the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the University of Ljubljana, and the University of Copenhagen. High-impact contributors included Pääbo, Svante; Willerslev, Eske; Krause, Johannes; and Pajnič, Irena Zupanič. The most active journals were Forensic Science International, Journal of Forensic Sciences, Forensic Science International: Genetics, International Journal of Legal Medicine, and American Journal of Physical Anthropology. The most highly cited article was "Hofreiter, 2001, Nat Rev Genet". Keywords co-occurrence highlighted "ancient DNA (aDNA)", "human skeletal remains", "mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)", "forensic science", and "human identification" as dominant themes. Recent trends underscore the integration of aDNA into forensics workflows, increasing reliance on mtDNA and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiling, and massively parallel sequencing (MPS) applications for degraded DNA. Collectively, the findings highlight the transformative impact of technological innovation and international collaboration on the field's evolution. Continued global cooperation is essential to drive innovation, optimize resources, and accelerate forensic genetics research.

Indexed as

BibliometricsBody RemainsDNA, AncientDNA FingerprintingForensic GeneticsBone and BonesForensic AnthropologyHumansDNA, AncientBibliometricsDNAForensic geneticsForensic scienceHuman skeletal remains

Identifiers

PMID41366558

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.