Isotope analysis
A recent development in forensic science is the isotopic analysis of hair strands. Hair has a recognisable growth rate of 9-11mm per month or 15 cm per year. Human hair growth is primarily a function of diet, especially drinking water intake. The stable isotopic ratios of drinking water are a function of location, and the geology that the water percolates through. Sr, Sr and oxygen isotope variations are different all over the world. These differences in isotopic ratio are then biologically 'set' in our hair as it grows and it has therefore become possible to identify recent geographic histories by the analysis of hair strands. For example, it could be possible to identify whether a terrorist suspect had recently been to a particular location from hair analysis. This hair analysis is a non-invasive method which is becoming very popular in cases that DNA or other traditional means are bringing no answers.
Evolution of the brain
The evolutionary history of the human brain shows primarily a gradually bigger brain relative to body size during the evolutionary path from early primates to hominids and finally to "Homo sapiens". Human brain size has been trending upwards since 2 million years ago, with a 3 factor increase. Early australopithecine brains were a little larger than chimpanzee brains. The increase has been seen as larger human brain volume as we progressed along the human timeline of evolution (see Homininae), starting from about 600 cm in "Homo habilis" up to 1600 cm in "Homo neanderthalensis" (male averages). 
The increase in brain size topped with Neanderthals; 
Brain size of "Homo sapiens" varies significantly between population (races), with male averages ranging between about 1,200 to 1,450 cm.