Molecular Identification of the Italian Soldiers Found in the Second World War Mass Grave of Ossero

Authors

• Barbara Di Stefano
• Barbara Bertoglio
• Filomena Melchionda
• Monica Concato
• Solange Sorçaburu Ciglieri
• Alessandro Bosetti
• Pierangela Grignani
• Eros Azzalini
• Yasmine Addoum
• Raffaella Vetrini
• Fabiano Gentile
• Francesco Introna
• Serena Bonin
• Chiara Turchi
• Carlo Previderè
• Paolo Fattorini

Language

English

Publication Date

3-11-2025

Journal

Genes

DOI

10.3390/genes16030326

PMID

40149477

PMCID

PMC11942473

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

3-11-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background/objectives: DNA analysis is the most reliable method for the identification of human skeletal remains, especially the ones found in mass disasters or recovered from mass graves. To this aim, DNA was extracted from bones and teeth allegedly belonging to 27 Italian soldiers executed during the Second World War and exhumed from a mass grave in Ossero (Croatia).

Methods: A selection of 131 different bone samples (petrous bones, femurs, metacarpal, and metatarsal bones) and 16 molar teeth were used for DNA extraction. Autosomal and Y-chromosome STR profiles were determined using a conventional CE approach, while a panel of 76 microhaplotypes was investigated through MPS.

Results: Overall, 24 different autosomal consensus male profiles and six (unexpected) female profiles were identified; the male profiles were then compared with 21 alleged living relatives of the missing soldiers belonging to 14 unrelated Italian families. The DVI module of the Familias software was used for computing the LRs and the posterior probabilities (PP). The combination of autosomal STRs and microhaplotypes led to the identification of six victims and to a very likely identification of another one, supported by Y-haplotype sharing between victim and relative. Three distant victim-relative relationships resulting in low LR values for the autosomal markers showed Y-STR haplotype-sharing patterns, thus suggesting very strong support for a paternal relationship.

Conclusions: The results of this study confirmed the effectiveness of the genetic approach and highlighted the presence of more individuals than expected in the mass grave, among which six were female subjects.

Keywords

Humans, Male, Italy, Military Personnel, Female, World War II, Microsatellite Repeats, Chromosomes, Human, Y, Bone and Bones, Haplotypes, DNA Fingerprinting, Forensic Genetics

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Di Stefano, Barbara; Bertoglio, Barbara; Melchionda, Filomena; et al., "Molecular Identification of the Italian Soldiers Found in the Second World War Mass Grave of Ossero" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 8003.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/8003