Chapter 14 Human Remains

Get into groups of 3 and using a pencil try to fill out the skeleton picture

206 bones

Forensic Anthropology Identifies skeletal remains where bones are the only evidence

Assist in investigation of crimes Responsibilities Assist in investigation of crimes

Examine and analyze human remains

Skills used to… Recover individuals from crime scene

Reconstruct remains to analyze effects of trauma

Identify human remains …when conventional methods cannot be used

Give expert testimony

Why kinds of questions would an anthropologist want to answer when bones are found?

Forensic Anthropology Remains human? Single individual or several? When did death occur? Was the body disturbed post-mortem? Gender, race, age? Cause of death? Type of death? Signs of disease, old injuries? Height, weight, physique estimated?

What are the five functions of the skeletal system?

Functions of the Skeleton: Internal structure and support Protection of vital organs Attachment for muscles Make blood cells Storage of minerals

Types of bones: Long (longer than they are wide) Short (length and width about the same) Flat Irregular

Which type of bone?

Review What type of mortis dealt with body temperature? What things would cause a body temperature to cool faster?

1. Determining time of death ***Most accurate if body is found within 24 hours of death Algor mortis; cooling of the body after death Body cools at approx. 1-1.5 degrees F per hour until environmental temp is reached. Researcher must consider factors such as… Environmental temp. Type of clothing Is clothing wet? (aids cooling) Air movement (aids cooling) Layers of clothing (prevents cooling) Surface area/body mass ratio (small bodies will cool more quickly) Glaister formula gives hours elapsed: 98.4 ‘F – internal temp ________________ 1.5 ‘F/hr

Review Which type of mortis is described by a discoloration of the skin because of blood pooling? What type of mortis is described by a stiffening of the muscles?

B. Livor mortis; purple or red discoloration of the skin after death, caused by pooling of the blood due to gravity. Begins .5 hr after death Most evident within 12 hr. After 12 hr discoloration will not move regardless of how the body is handled or moved. Areas in contact with ground (or anything) show no discoloration because??? capillaries are compressed. C. Rigor mortis; stiffness in skeletal muscles 2-3 hrs after death, lasting until ~30 hrs. Smaller muscles first. Affected by temp, dehydration, condition of muscles, use prior to death, etc.

2. Animal vs Human Bone Osteology; the study of bones Osteons;

In animals, these osteons would occur in rows (osteon banding) or rectagular shapes (plexiform bone). Sheep tibia

Human Animal

3. Pelvis Bone Review A B E F C D

3. Sex Determination Using the pelvis

How is the male pelvis different than the female pelvis?

Also, the ventral arc and the width of the pubic body Pg. 418 in text

These three bones fuse together to make the os coxa, or half of the pelvis.

In summary, how are these things different in male vs female? Pubic angle Illia Sacrum tilt Ventral arc of pubis Pubic body Pelvic opening greater in female, smaller in male wider in female, closer in male backward in female, forward in male present in female, absent in male wider in female, thinner in male Larger in female

Differences?

…using the skull

…using the skull

In summary, how are these different between male and female? Overall shape of head Supraorbital ridges Chin shape Orbital border Muscle attachments under the eye male larger and thicker extreme in males, slight in female male square, female round male rounded, female sharp more pronounced in male

What bones could be used to estimate height accurately?

4. Estimating Height …using long bones. humerus radius femur tibia

Since men and women have different proportions of long bone length to total body height, we have a different formula for each sex… (accuracy is + or – 7.5cm Height (cm)= femur x 2.21 + 61.41 femur x 2.23 +69.08 tibia x 2.53 + 72.57 tibia x 2.39 + 81.68 humerus x 3.14 + 64.97 humerus x 2.97 + 73.57 radius x 3.87 + 73.50 radius x 3.65 + 80.40

5. Age Determination Epiphyses; growth plates at the end of long bones that fuse to the bone during early adulthood. (pg 423 of text)

Using cranial sutures

Sagittal Suture closed: 26 or older 29 or older Sagittal Suture completely open: Younger than 32 Younger than 35

Using the os pubis Furrows (youngest) Smooth Breakdown of bone (oldest)

6. Determining Race Caucasoid (European, Middle Eastern, East Indian descent) Long narrow nasal aperature Triangular palate Oval orbits Narrow zygomatic arches Narrow mandibles

6. Determining Race Negroid (African, Aboriginal, Melanesian descent) Wide nasal aperture Rectangular palate Square orbits More pronounced zygomatic arches Longer long bones with less curvature and denser

6. Determining Race Mongoloid (Asian, Native American, Polynesian descent) More rounded nasal aperture Parabolic palate Rounded orbits Wide zygomatic arches Pointed mandibles

History of Forensic Anthropology End of 19th century Dr. Thomas Dwight “Father of American (1843-1911) Forensic Anthropology”

Dr. Thomas Dwight.. Looked at clues to ID a person from bones

Other leading forensic anthropologists Dr. George Dorsey 1868-1931 LUETGERT CASE National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

Dr. T.D. Stewart Curator from the Smithsonian Institute Helped ID casualties from WWII and the Korean War

CILHI Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii

1. Responsibility Identify and repatriate American soldiers

2. How remains are analyzed.. Teams travel to field locations

Statistical methods are used To differentiate remains from those of the native population

The remains are taken to CILHI Where a biological profile is created and compared to a database

Multidisciplinary approach TEAM APPROACH

Forensic Pathology Determines cause and manner of death by autopsy