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 Pg 29 Flesh and Bone Read pp XV also
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. Regression formula is a set of values that are calculate using measurements of the skeleton.
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