1. What information can a forensic anthropologist find from skeletal remains?

2. 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

3. What they can tell… Human or not Modern or Ancient Male or female Age
Stature
Diseases/Injuries/Conditions
Activity level/occupation (hard labor, athlete…)
Geographic origin (“race”)

4. Tissues and Functions of the Human Skeletal System
Bone
Movement
Support
Calcium Storage
Red Blood Cell Production
Protection of Internal Organs

5. Tissues and Functions of the Human Skeletal System
Cartilage
In a fetus, skeleton is made of cartilage, later replaced by bone
Covers ends of bones (especially at joints)
Tendons
Connect muscles to bone
Ligaments
Connect one bone to another bone

6. What is bone?
Organic material (collagen= spongy protein) inside of an inorganic matrix (mostly calcium and potassium)
Osteocytes: bone cells

7. How does bone form and grow?
By early twenties, most human bone growth is complete.
Osteoclasts circulate and recycle damaged bone cells…”remodeling”
Most obvious where bone ends (epiphysis) meet the bone shaft (diaphysis)
“growth plate” or “epiphyseal” plate
Growth in periosteum (bone cover)

8. How many bones?
About 206- depending on age of person

9. What kind? Long bones (femur, humerus, radius, ulna, tibia and fibula)
Short bones (metacarples and metatarsals—hand bones and foot bones)
Flat bones (cranial bones, hip bones, shoulder blades)
Irregular bones (vertebra, carpals, tarsals, many cranial bones)

10. Parts of the skeleton Axial skeleton: Appendicular skeleton:
skull (cranium), vertebral column, ribs
Appendicular skeleton:
Pectoral girdle (scapula and clavicle- forms shoulder)
Pelvic girdle (innominate or hip bones)
Upper limbs (humerus, radius, ulna, etc)
Lower limbs (femur, tibia, fibula, etc)

11. Axial vs. Appendicular
Vizniak, N.A., 2008, Quick Reference Clinical Consultant Muscle Manual, Professional Health Systems Inc, Canada

12. Forensic Anthropology
Defined as the analysis of skeletal remains within a legal investigation
Physical Anthropologist = osteologist
Training= BS physical anthropology
MS osteology

13. How could anthropologists determine the characteristics that we listed earlier?

14. Male or Female?

20. In men, the diameter of the head of the femur is larger than 51 mm
In men, the diameter of the head of the femur is larger than 51 mm. In women, the diameter of the head of the femur is less than 45 mm.

21. Young or Old? Several clues for age (these are only a few):
Sutures (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 3
Epiphyseal fusion (think “growth plates”)
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

22. Skull Sutures

23. Cartilage to Bone… (“ossification”)

24. Epiphyseal Fusion: A General Guide

25. Fusion of Epiphyses (courtesy of Forensic pathology: principles and practice  By David Dolinak, Evan W. Matshes, Emma O. Lew )

26. Epiphyses

27. Teeth (Dentition)

28. Determining Age
Fusion of the vertebra occurs at different times and locations, but is usually complete by age 25.

29. 4 year old Vertebra

30. 30 Year old Vertebra

31. 71 Year Old Vertebra

32. Geographic Origin

33. Determination of Race: European
Trait
Nasal Index:
<.48
Nasal Spine:
Prominent spine
Nasal Silling / Guttering:
Sharp ridge (silling)
Prognathism:
Straight
Shape of Orbital Openings:
Rounded, somewhat square
Orbital openings:
round
Nasal spine:
Prominent
Progathism: straight

34. Somewhat prominent spine
Determination of Race: Asian (Asian decent and Native American descent)
Trait
Nasal Index
Nasal Spine
Somewhat prominent spine
Nasal Silling/ Guttering
Rounded ridge
Prognathism
Variable
Shape of Orbital Openings
Rounded, somewhat circular

35. Nasal Silling/ Guttering No ridge (guttering)
Determination of Race: African: (everyone of African decent and West Indian decent)
Trait
Nasal Index
>.53
Nasal Spine
Very small spine
Nasal Silling/ Guttering
No ridge (guttering)
Prognathism
Prognathic
Shape of Orbital Openings
Rectangular or square

36. Maxillae Note shapes of nasal openings… Shovel-shaped incisors
Spatulate (flat backed) incisors

37. Orbital Shapes

38. 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.

39. Determining Stature
Ideally all long bones are available for stature determination.
Bones are measured using an osteometric board for accuracy.
The measurements are then put into standard formulae

40. Clues to Cause of Death Hyoid Bone
Attachment for tongue, mandible, larynx, etc…
U-shaped bone in neck
Fracture suggests strangulation

41. Clues to Cause of Death Beveling Cut Marks, Chop Marks, Scrape Marks
Exit side is larger in diameter than entrance for a high velocity projectile (bullet)
Cut Marks, Chop Marks, Scrape Marks
Caused by a tool
Gnaw Marks
Postmortem- caused by animal activity

42. Identification of an Individual
Dental records
Antemortem x-rays (show old fractures, implants, etc)
Frontal Sinuses
DNA (if possible- in teeth and marrow)

43. Time Since Death Bones are subject to weathering and scatter.
Bodies left on the surface are skeletonized within 8 months.
If buried, it will take between 1 and 2 years to become completely skeletonized and in arid areas bodies may become mummified.

44. Time of Death
Scatter is important to the Forensic Anthropologist in estimating time of death and burial.
The number and types of bones available at the scene indicates the amount of time the body has been in that spot (smaller bones get lost first).
3 weeks: articulated bones
5 weeks: some scatter, some articulated
4 months: disarticulated, within 10’ circle
7 to 8 months: most bones within 10’ circle and all within 20’
1 year: small bones missing, complete disarticulation
2 to 4 years: some bones broken, scattered 40’, some large bones missing
12+ years: bone rot

45. “The Body Farm”
Facility instituted at the University of Tennessee by Dr. William Bass
Human decomposition is scientifically studied to help us understand decay process as well as how to determine a better estimate of time since death and cause of death

46. More info on Forensic Anthropology