Forensic Anthropology – Human Remains –A & P Forensic Anthropology – a type of applied physical anthropology that specializes in the human skeletal system for purposes of identifying unknown remains.

Answer many questions: Human? One or many individuals? When did death occur? Moved after death? Gender, age and race of individual? Cause of death? Type of death: homicide, suicide, ect Injuries, disease Height, body weight and physiques can be estimated Facial features can be reconstructed

Terms Algor mortis – the cooling of the body temperature after death Livor mortis – a purple or red discoloration caused by pooling of blood after death. Rigor mortis – stiffness in the muscles that occurs shortly after death.

Osteology – study of bones Osteons – structures in bones that carry the blood supply Adult human has 206 bones, younger has more and vary in number. 12 set of ribs, 24 total

Bones Skull 22 bones Ear 6 bones Thoracic cage 25 bones Total 206 bones Ribs 12 pair (24 total) True ribs – first 7 pair join directly to the sternum False ribs – remaining 5 pair, do not reach the sternum directly. 3 pair join the 7th rib. Floating ribs – last 2 do not attach to the sternum at all

Diaphysis – shaft of the bone Epiphyses - growth plate of bone (both ends of the bone)

Long bones: Also used in determining height Femur – long bone found in the leg extending from the hip to the knee Tibia – long bone found in the leg extending from the knee to the ankle Humerus – long bone found in the arm extending from the shoulder to the elbow Radius – long bone found in the arm extending form the elbow to the wrist

Sex Determination Pelvis region: Pubis, sacrum and ilium of the pelvis are the bones that have the most obvious differences between men and women. Three major differences: Width of the pubic arch –larger angle in the female The width of the pubic body – narrower in males Existence of a ventral arch – males do not have this Ventral arc – a bony ridge that is formed on the ventral (lower) side of the female os pubis

1- male 2 - female

Pelvis

Skull features – 22 bones in skull Frontal – forehead Nasal – nose Oral – mouth Orbital – eye cavity Otic – ear

Lateral view

Sutures – immovable joints where bones are joined together Sutures – immovable joints where bones are joined together. They are visible as seams on the surface (seen on the skull) Symphysis –a place where two bones meet and may rub together. Ex: two hip bones come together in front, as a person ages.

Supine – body laying face up Prone – body laying face down Anatomical position – head forward, feet shoulder width apart, palms of hands forward, arms down.

Body Regions and Terms: Superficial – near the surface. Deep – parts that are more internal.

Sagittal plane – divides the body down the median plane from left to right. Transverse plane – divides the body horizontal from top to bottom (superior to inferior) Coronal plane – divides the body down the frontal plane from front to back (frontal to dorsal)

Superior – above, closer to head Inferior – below or toward the feet. Anterior – (ventral) toward the front Posterior (dorsal) opposite of anterior, toward the back Medial – midline of the body, dividing the body into equal right and left halves. Lateral – to the side of the midline

Proximal – closer to a point of attachment or closer to the trunk of the body. Distal – opposite of proximal, farther from the point of attachment or farther from the trunk.