1. Warm Up
Scientists will describe forensic anthropology and its usage by analyzing skeletal remains.
What is the topic?
What will you be doing?
Why is this important?
How will you know if you have done well?
Day 2—Review Warm Up//Take out forensic anthropology paper.

2. Warm Up
Scientists will describe forensic anthropology and its usage by analyzing skeletal remains.
What is the topic? Forensic anthropology and its usage
What will you be doing? Analyze skeletal remains
Why is this important? Solve crimes/mysteries
How will you know if you have done well? Able to describe forensic anthropology; completed work

3. Forensic Anthropology
Examines skeletal remains
Determine age, race, gender, and height
Each group will send 1-2 representatives to each station. There, you will work with other group’s representatives.
You will then go back to your table and share your information with your group.

4. Gender
Height, because female on average is shorter, but a shorter skeleton can be male.
The pelvis
Sacrum tilted backward, outlet large, angle >90 degree, ilia spread, female
Sacrum tilted forward, outlet small, angle <90 degree, ilia close, male
Skull….85%-90%
Squared chin, forehead receding, male
Rounded chin, small mastoid process, forehead vertical, female
Rounded chin, forehead vertical, muscle lines are slight, female

5. Race
The maxilla, African = hyperbolic, European = parabolic, Asian = rounded; teeth—incisors…African and European are spatulate, Asian are shovel-shaped; characteristics of skull—too subtle for photographs
Hyperbolic, spatulate, African
Parabolic, spatulate, European/Caucasian
Rounded, shovel-shaped, Asian

6. Age 1. arthritic, older. Because it looks rough/edgy
2. Not arthritic, younger. Because it looks clean/nice/not rough

7. Age
3. Condition of the bones. Look at the skull. Adults do not have sutures. They become filled in “closed” as we age.
4. Frontal sutures present, sutures are “open,” adolescent
5. Frontal sutures absent, sutures are “closed,” adult

8. Age 6. 206…babies…haven’t fused together yet
7. Look at the epiphysis. X-rays…dark areas indicate growth plates/still made of cartilage. Adult x-ray will reveal white area where the growth plate has been turned into bone.
Epiphyseal plate … child (darker areas)
Epiphyseal line … adult (whiter areas)

9. Height femur, humerus, radius (arm and leg bones)
(17.9 x 1.94) = inches
(17.9 x 1.88) + 32 = inches
(45.5 x 1.94) = cm
(45.5 X 1.88) = cm

10. Questions
What is the easiest way to determine the gender (using the skeleton) of an individual, and why?
What is the easiest way to tell (using the skeleton) whether a teenager is lying about her/his age, and why?
Why can determining gender from a skull be difficult?
Why should a forensic anthropologist use more than one bone (if possible) to determine the height of an individual?
What other issue is important to question four, especially if there is only one bone from which to work?

11. Finished? Complete any missing or incomplete assignments.
If everything is complete and turned in:
go to and play one of the games. Screenshot your results and send them to me— or
Create an Escape Room/Breakout Box for the integumentary, muscular, and skeletal systems.
Work on the homework assignment. This is due on November 16, 2018.