Transcript Anthropology_Odontology

Unit 9 Anthropology &
Odontology
Students will explore characteristics of physical
evidence and remains.
Joseph Merrick, Proteus Syndrome
 Joseph Merrick “Elephant Man” skeleton
Forensic Anthropology
 Forensic Anthropology is a branch of anthropology
which specializes in the human skeletal system for
the purposes of identifying unknown remains.
 Forensic anthropologists study skeletal remains
whose identities and circumstances of death are
unknown or questionable. They analyze bodies
that have decomposed, been badly burned, or have
become mummified or skeletonized.
Forensic Anthropology
 Using forensics, the following questions can be answered:
 Are remains human
 Are the remains of one individual or are they of mixed
remains
 When did death occur
 Was the body disturbed after death
 What are the gender, age, and race of the individual
 What caused death
 What kind of death was it… homicide, suicide, accident,
natural or undetermined…
 Are there any anatomical peculiarities, signs of disease, or
old injuries
 Individuals height, body weight, physique can be estimated
Skeleton Terms to Label
 Vertebrae
 Carpals
 Patella
 Phalanges
 Radius
 Femur
 Humerus
 Fibula
 Ribs
 Tibia
 Sternum
 Ulna
 Cranium
 Hyoid
 Metatarsals
 Xiphoid process
 Tarsals
 Pelvis
 Metacarpals
Vocabulary
 Deciduous teeth  Anterior
 Cementum
 Dentition
patterns
 Periodontal
Ligament
 Antemortem
 Postmortem
 Caucasoid
 Negroid
 Mongoloids
 Diaphysis
 Epiphysis
 Posterior
 Distal
 Proximal
 Crown
 Neck
 Root
 Enamel
 Dentin
 Pulp cavity
 Forensic
anthropology
 Forensic
odontology
Male and Female
Skeletal Remains
 “sexing” the skeletons is based on the skull, jaw,
brow ridge, pelvis and femur.
 Determining sex is crucial when analyzing unidentified
human remains. The forensic anthropologist can make
determination of sex by comparing basic characteristics
of certain bones.
 This of course is not always accurate but for the most
part male bones are larger in size to female bones and
are so because of the addition muscle that may build up
on the male body through adolescence and into
adulthood
Male and Female
Skeletal Remains: THE SKULL
 Skull has several key skull differences between male and
females
 Male cranial mass is more blocky and massive compared to the
females which are more rounder at the top
 Occipital protuberance (large projection on the back of head) is
larger on males than female skull
 Mastoid process on the male skull is larger and rough compared
to the female skull that has a smaller and smooth process
 The occipital bone on the male skull has muscle lines and
protuberances marked, where female skull tends not to have
muscle attachment lines.
 Zygomatic bone is more pronounced on the male skull. The
female Zygomatic arch does not extend as a ridge posterior of
the external auditory meatus, as the males does extend.
 Forehead/frontal bone.. / males slant back where female have a
round forehead
Male and Female
Skeletal Remains: THE SKULL
Male & Female Skeletal Remains:
THE FACE
 The brow ridge (supercilary-ridge above eyes) on a
skeleton can help determine gender.
 Females has less pronounced or non existent brow ridge.
 Males have a pronounced and larger brow ridges,
 Can also be described as females brow ridge margin is
sharper, while males have a round and dull ridge margin.
 Refer to previous picture
Male & Female Skeletal Remains:
THE MANDIBLE
 Mandible is more rounded on the female skull creating a
somewhat pointed chin where the male has a more
squared shape.
 The female mandible measures an obtuse angle
 The male measures an acute angle.
 Refer to slide #10
Male & Female Skeletal Remains:
THE PELVIS
 The pelvis or os pubis has important characteristics that
help determine sex differentiation
 The pubic arch has a larger angle in the female than the
male.
 Males have a narrower angle where the two pubic bones meet in
front, measuring at 90 degrees or smaller
 Females have wider angle where the two pubic bones meet in
front, measuring greater than 90 degrees.
 Females also have a wider pelvic opening.
 Males have a narrower, heart-shaped pelvic inlet
 Females have an open, circular pelvic inlet
 From an anterior view you will only see the coccyx bone, on the
male from the same view you can see both the coccyx and the
sacrum.
Male & Female Skeletal Remains:
THE PELVIS
 The pubic body is narrower in males than in the females
 Males usually do not have a ventral arc.
 The ventral arch is a bony ridge that is formed on the ventral
(lower) side of the female os pubis.
 Female pelvic bone have a broader sciatic notch and raised
auricular surface, where the male has a narrower sciatic
notch and a flat auricular surface.
 Sacrum is straighter in the female and more curved in the
males
 Acetabulum- the socket in the pelvis- is larger in males.
Male & Female Skeletal Remains:
THE FEMUR
 Femur
 The length of the femur is generally longer in the male
skeleton.
 The diameter of the femoral head longer and bigger in the
male skeleton.
 The oblique length of the trochanters is longer in the male
skeleton
Determining Ancestry
 There are three major anthropological racial groups based
on observable skeletal features: Caucasoid, Negroid, and
Mongoloids. It is important to note that there is more
individual variation within races than there is general
variation among races.
 With the increasing multiethnic and interracial society, many
anthropologist do not feel confident making judgments
concerning ethnicity/race of skeletal remains, but facial
characteristics allow the examiner to narrow the field of identify.
They eye socket (orbits), nasal bone, skull, teeth and chin are
all examined.
 Caucasoid is a descriptor for people of European, Middle Eastern and
East Indian descent.
 Eye sockets-oval orbits
 Nasal bone- long narrow nasal aperture (opening)
 Skull- narrow zygomatic arches and narrow mandible.
 Teeth-triangle palate
Caucasoid Skull
http://www.flickr.com/photos/396021
84@N02/3641970910/sizes/m/in/set
-72157619878693631/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/396021
84@N02/3641970880/in/set72157619878693631/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/396021
84@N02/3641970842/in/set72157619878693631/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/396021
84@N02/3641162087/in/set72157619878693631/
Determining Ancestry
 Negroid is a descriptor for people of African, Aborigine, and
Melanesian descent.
 Eye sockets-square orbits
 Nasal bone- wide nasal aperture
 Skull- pronounced zygomatic arch
 Teeth-Rectangle palate
 Long bones are longer and have less curvature and greater
density.
Negroid Skull
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/39602184@N02/3642241
944/in/set-72157619878693631/
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/39602184@N02/3642241
916/in/set-72157619878693631/
Determining Ancestry
 Mongoloid is a descriptor for people of Asia, Native
American, and Polynesian descent
 Eye sockets-rounded orbits
 Nasal bone- rounded nasal aperture
 Skull- wide zygomatic arches
 Teeth-Parabolic palate
 Pointed mandible
Mongoloid Skull
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/39602184@N02/3747590
190/in/set-72157619878693631/
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/39602184@N02/3642213
192/in/set-72157619878693631/
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/39602184@N02/3642213
216/in/set-72157619878693631/
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/39602184@N02/3641405
097/in/set-72157619878693631/
Long Bones
 Diaphysis: shaft of bone
 Epiphysis: ends of bone (long bones)
 Bones fuse in four stages
 Stage 1: Nonunion with no epiphysis (no growth
plate yet)
 Stage 2: nonunion with separate epiphysis
(growth plate formed but not attached)
 Stage 3: partial union of the epiphysis (growth
plate is beginning to attach)
 Stage 4: complete union of the epiphysis
(growth plate is completely attached and
smooth)
Determining Age
 Forensic anthropologist can estimate an individual’s age
at the time of death by examining biological changes
that occurred
 Age can be estimated by when teeth are erupting, bones
are growing, and epiphyses (growth plates) are forming and
uniting, and closure of cranial sutures in the skull. Between
the ages of 25-30 years of age, age estimation becomes
more difficult. All age estimates are given in an age range
to avoid excluding possibilities.
Fusing of Bone
 The stages of bones fusing occurs at different ages in
different bones as well as different in males and
females. There are general age determinations using
epiphyseal union of the clavicle and iliac crest
 Clavicle: about 26 yrs. (males and females can differ – pg
281)
 Iliac Crest: around 20 yrs (pg 281)
 Estimating age based on cranial sutures can be done by
examining the sutures.
 Saggital suture: 26 yrs males, 29 yrs females (complete & smooth)
 Coronal Suture: 35 + in males, 50+ in females (all 3 sutures)
 Lambodial suture: “”
 Determining age using the os pubis can be done be
examining the symphysis pubis.
HANDEDNESS
 Handedness: By examining both the right and the left
of limb bones, it can be determined if a person was right
or left-handed. The favoritism of one hand uses the
muscles more on that limb, pulling on the periosteum
and stimulating bone growth in thickness.
 Individuals overall build can be determined by the thickness
of their bones and the characteristics of the bones at
specific muscle attachment sites. This is due to the
stimulation of the bone to thicken when stress is put on the
periosteum. Repaired fractures can also be identified based
on the growth of bone at the repair site.
Region of the body
Bone
Age
Arm
Humerus bones in the head fused
4-6
Humerus bones in the head fused to shaft
18-20
Greater trochanter first appears
4
Lesser trochanter first appears
13-14
Condyles join shaft
20
Shoulder
Clavicle and sternum close
18-24
Pelvis
Pubis, ischium are almost completely
united
7-8
Ileum, ischium, and pubic bones fully
ossified
20-25
All segments of sacrum united
25-30
Lambdoidal suture close
Begins 21 ends
30
Sagittal suture close
32
Coronal suture close
50
Leg (femur)
Skull
Injury & Disease Patterns of Bone
 Disease, injury and birth defects are also revealed in the
bones
 Spina bifida
 Arthritis
 Fractures before and after death occurred
 Bones of a deceased person break differently compared to the
bones of a live person
 Healing at the edge of a fracture indicates injuries occurred
during life.
Injury Patterns to Bone
 Cause of death
 Obvious
 Marks on skeleton
 Stab wounds
 Bullet holes
 Blows to the head
 Murder weapons can leave a distinctive mark and can be
matched
NAME AND NUMBER DECIDUOUS
(BABY) AND PERMANENT TEETH
 A. Deciduous teeth - most dentists today use a modified
version of the Universal Numbering System for children,
with letters instead of teeth numbers. The primary teeth
are designated by upper case letters A through T, with A
being the patient's upper right second primary molar
and T being the lower right second primary molar.
NAME AND NUMBER DECIDUOUS
(BABY) AND PERMANENT TEETH
 B. Permanent teeth - In the universal tooth numbering
system, tooth number 1 is the patient's upper right third
molar, on the right side of the mouth in the upper
(maxillary) jaw.
 Numbering of teeth continues along the upper teeth
toward the front and across to the last molar tooth back
on the top left side (number 16). The tooth numbering
continues by assigning teeth numbers descending to the
lower left third molar (number 17) and follows the lower
(mandibular) jaw up to the tooth farthest back on the
bottom right side of the mouth (number 32).
 All teeth that should be there are numbered, including
those teeth that have been removed for any reason or
have not erupted yet (e.g. wisdom teeth).
Total numbers of Teeth
 An adult has the potential to have the following total
types of teeth:
 Incisors: 8
 Canines: 4
 Premolars: 8
 Molars: 12
EMPLOY DENTITION PATTERNS
AS A MEANS FOR BITE MARK
IDENTIFICATION
 The diameter of the injury typically ranges from 25-40
mm.
 Often a central area of bruising can be seen within the
marks from the teeth.
 This extravascular bleeding is caused by pressure from
the teeth as they compress the tissue inward from the
perimeter of the mark.
EMPLOY DENTITION PATTERNS
AS A MEANS FOR BITE MARK
IDENTIFICATION
 Description of the Prototypical Human Bitemark
 A circular or oval (doughnut) (ring-shaped) patterned injury
consisting of two opposing (facing) symmetrical, U-shaped
arches separated at their bases by open spaces. Following
the periphery of the arches are a series of individual
abrasions, contusions and/or lacerations reflecting the size,
shape, arrangement and distribution of the class
characteristics of the contacting surfaces of the human
dentition.
 Variations of the Prototypical Bitemark - Variations
include additions, subtractions, and distortions
EMPLOY DENTITION PATTERNS
AS A MEANS FOR BITE MARK
IDENTIFICATION
Computer reconstruction of bite
mark, 2003
Scientists from the Institute of
Forensic Medicine collaborated with
police in 2003 to solve a triple
homicide. Three women were found
beaten to death in an apartment
outside of Zürich, Switzerland. One
victim had a bite mark on her
shoulder. After creating dental casts
and using 3-D imaging technology to
recreate the bite sequence, scientists
were able to prove to a jury that the
suspect made the mark. He was
found guilty.
Institute of Forensic Medicine,
University of Bern
 http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bite+mark+evid
ence&form=QBIR&qs=AS&sk=&pq=bite+mark+evi&sp=
1&sc=113&adlt=strict#focal=46dee412a4aa0c1515c799929f6b
5bc6&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.greggoldendds.com%
2Fimages%2Fshoulderali.jpg