Transcript Forensic Anthropology - The Naked Science Society

FORENSIC
ANTHROPOLOGY
The Tales that Bones Tell
Forensic Anthropology

Defined as the analysis of skeletal
remains within a legal investigation

Physical Anthropologist = osteologist

Training= BS physical anthropology
MS osteology
First Three Questions:

Are the remains actually bone?
macroscopic and microscopic study

Are the remains Human?
appearance and DNA if available

Are the Remains Ancient or Modern?
look for clothing, historic remains, teeth
If human, then proceed to identify the remains
Biological Identity (who was it?)
Age
 Sex
 Previous Injuries
 Cause of Death
 Race
 Stature/Weight

Approximate Age?
Child 4 years old

The cranium is much
larger in relation to
the face and mandible
at this stage. This is
because the brain
develops quite rapidly
relative to dentition.
The mandible and
maxilla become larger
as permanent molars
begin to erupt.
Age Progression in Skulls
Fusing of Skull
Appearance of sutures can give
approximate age
 In infants there are large gaps which
close slowly over time
 There is a particular sequence
beginning from the inside of the skull
and finishes by age 30

4 year old Vertebra
30 Year old Vertebra
71 Year Old Vertebra
Fusing of
Epiphyses
Epiphyseal Fusion
 Most
useful for the first 25 years
Head of Femur 19 – 20 years
 Part of hip 24 years
 Female bones are usually 1-2 years
ahead of males in development

Conclusion:
Bone Density - drops after 40
 Osteoarthritis- different from other forms
that are not age related
 Pelvic Joint Morphology- ridge detail
wears out over time
 Cranial Sutures
 Dental Changes

Determination of Sex

After Puberty accuracy is well over 90%

Skull and Pelvis are the most sexually
dimorphic skeletal areas
Looking at the Skull
Pelvic Bones
Reason for Wide Pelvis
Previous Injuries or Disease

- broken bones(bony scar or callus)
 - rickets
 - arthritis
 - congenital anomaly
Cause of
Death

Radial Fracture
on Skull

Hammer
matched to site
of Trauma
Population Ancestry
Homo sapiens is a single species
 There are no absolute physical or
genetic reproductive barriers
 That said there are some
generalizations about “race”

Races
Facial Bones considered to be the only
relatively accurate indicators:
Nasal cavity, eye socket, jaw
 Mistakes easily made especially with
the melding of races
 Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid

Estimation of Stature
Intact Corpse – easy
 Dismembered – must be based on long
bones of the corpses
 Trotter Method – mathematical
regression formula based on the Terry
collection and hundreds of servicemen
from WW II and the Korean War.

Estimating Stature

White Male
2.38(femur) + 61.41 = stature +/- 3.27
2.52(tibia) + 78.62 = stature +/- 3.37

Black Male
2.11(femur) + 70.35 = stature +/- 3.94
2.19(tibia) + 86.02 = stature +/- 3.78
Example:

46 cm femur :

(46)(2.38) + 61.41 = 170.9 cm
( +/- 3.27)

In Feet and Inches ?

67.3 inches which is 5’7”
Rohrer Body – Build Index
(to estimate the weight of a person)

Compares mass and bone and height

Bone is ~15% of total body mass

Approximations
Uses of Forensic Anthropology
There are approximately 5,000
unidentified bodies discovered each
year
 Mass Disasters
Value Jet Crash in Everglades
TWA Explosion
World Trade Center Disaster

Forensic Odontology

Training
- DDS (dentist)
- Usually a one year course specific to
forensics
Eruption of
Teeth