1. CHE 113 1 FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY A Very Brief Overview CHE 113 Thanks to help from Prof. Ann Bunch, SUNY Oswego

2. CHE 113 2 Forensic Anthropology Brief Overview Defined as “the field of study that deals with the analysis of human skeletal remains resulting from unexplained deaths.” Often done in a legal context An applied science Five subdisciplines: 1. Biological, or physical anthropology 2. Archaeology 3. Cultural anthropology 4. Linguistics 5. Applied anthropology

3. CHE 113 3 Forensic Anthropology Goal: Biological Profile Includes: 1. General Description 2. Sex of decedent 3. Age of decedent 4. Ancestry of decedent 5. Stature of decedent 6. Assessment of trauma (ante-, peri-, post mortem) 7. Pathologies noted

4. CHE 113 4 Osteology: study of skeletal remains Each bone studied INDIVIDUALLY 206 Skeletal Bones (total)

5. CHE 113 5 Osteology: study of skeletal remains Each bone studied INDIVIDUALLY

6. CHE 113 6 Osteology Human bone –vs- Animal bone Macroscopic differences Radiology Observation Measurement Microscopic differences

7. CHE 113 7 Osteology

8. CHE 113 8 Osteology

9. CHE 113 9 Macroscopic differences Baboon femurHuman femur

10. CHE 113 10 Microscopic differences Spongy bone human mouse

11. CHE 113 11 Osteology Radiographs

12. CHE 113 12 Information from skeletal remains Sex of decedent Hip boneFemur Skull

13. CHE 113 13 Information from skeletal remains Sex of decedent http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

14. CHE 113 14 Information from skeletal remains Sex of decedent MALE OR FEMALE SKELETON? (a) IS FEMALE and (b) IS MALE Handout

15. CHE 113 15 Information from skeletal remains Sex of decedent MALE OR FEMALE SKELETON? (a) IS FEMALE and (b) IS MALE Male Female

16. CHE 113 16 Information from skeletal remains Sex of decedent http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

17. CHE 113 17 What can we learn from skeletons? Age at Death Hip bone most useful for adults Teeth: Erupted or Not? Estimate given as a range (30 – 35 yrs old) Epiphyses: fused or unfused? Pubic symphysis Auricular surface

18. CHE 113 18 Age at Death Long Bone Development

19. CHE 113 19 Age at Death http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

20. CHE 113 20 Age at Death http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

21. CHE 113 21 Osteology Teeth also studied Deciduous –vs- Permanent

22. CHE 113 22 Age at Death http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

23. CHE 113 23 Epiphyses - A part of bone separated from the main body of the bone by a layer of cartilage and subsequently uniting with the bone through further ossification Unfused = juvenile Fused = adult

24. CHE 113 24 Spine

25. CHE 113 25 More info from skeletal remains ANCESTRY of decedent Difficult determination to make Facial bones most important Nasal aperture Teeth Interorbital space Mandible

26. CHE 113 26 Stature estimate Measure long bone(s) available Plug in value to formula Range established for stature of decedent 5’ 2” – 5’ 5”

27. CHE 113 27 Other information TRAUMA and PATHOLOGIES Ante- mortem Post-mortem Peri-mortem Gunshot

28. CHE 113 28 Trauma

29. CHE 113 29 Individual Identification Person identified when it was found that the amalgam used in her dental restorations was of a type found only in specific areas on the Eastern Coast of the United States. Habitual activity can wear away the protective, cartilagenous lining which reduces friction in joints. The humerus in this photograph were in contact for many years prior to this individual's death. The surfaces are smooth and shiny, indicating that the joint capsule and cartilage had worn away, allowing bone on bone contact in the cavity. http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

30. CHE 113 30 Individual Identification Dental implants, braces, and other types of dental work are often recovered with a body and are extremely useful in identification because they are so unique to the individual and are well detailed in antemortem radiographs and medical records. Healed fracture on the sternal end of a midthoracic rib. The area within the red brackets is the site of injury. Note the more porous appearance of the bone in this area - this is woven bone. http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html

31. CHE 113 31 Case Study September 1999 Tourist Aircraft Crash on the Big Island of Hawaii From Prof. Ann Bunch SUNY Oswego

32. CHE 113 32 Big Island Aircraft Crash Piper Aircraft with 9 passengers, 1 pilot

33. CHE 113 33 Big Island Aircraft Crash Aircraft’s path prior to crash & location of crash

34. CHE 113 34 Big Island Aircraft Crash NTSB determination of cause = pilot error

35. CHE 113 35 Big Island Aircraft Crash

36. CHE 113 36 Big Island Aircraft Crash

37. CHE 113 37 Big Island Aircraft Crash Document remains present

38. CHE 113 38 Big Island Aircraft Crash X-ray all remains/ Possible remains

39. CHE 113 39 Big Island Aircraft Crash

40. CHE 113 40 Big Island Aircraft Crash Personal effects and identification

41. CHE 113 41 Big Island Aircraft Crash Identification “by exclusion” Osteoarthritis

42. CHE 113 42 Big Island Aircraft Crash

43. CHE 113 43 Big Island Aircraft Crash Sorting out commingling

44. CHE 113 44 Other Types of Evidence Wreckage fragments Wreckage in situ

45. CHE 113 45 Federal Government Cases Ha Tay Province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam 1995-1996 Recovery Mission From Prof. Ann Bunch SUNY Oswego

46. CHE 113 46 1972 B-52 Crash Site Christmas Bombing of Hanoi, Operation “Rolling Thunder”

47. CHE 113 47 Witness interviews

48. CHE 113 48 1972 B-52 Crash Site Pond after draining

49. CHE 113 49 B-52 Crash Site Surrounding terrain

50. CHE 113 50 The “Bottomless Pit”

51. CHE 113 51 Wet-screening stations

52. CHE 113 52 Wet-screening stations in operation

53. CHE 113 53 Progress after one field activity Test Pit

54. CHE 113 54 6 weeks’ progress

55. CHE 113 55 6 weeks’ progress

56. CHE 113 56 Recovery continues

57. CHE 113 57 Focal point of recovery

58. CHE 113 58 Evidence

59. CHE 113 59 Final View of Excavation

60. CHE 113 60 More Evidence

61. CHE 113 61 More evidence

62. CHE 113 62 Case Status Remains of tail gunner identified with mtDNA Captain’s rank insignia recovered from site = presence of second MIA? Family of tail gunner not willing to accept ID until more solid evidence of other MIA is found/presented Prof. Ann Bunch, SUNY Oswego

63. CHE 113 63 Harper Bone/Kennedy mcadams.posc.mu.edu/ harper.htm Believed to be a parietal bone Found the day after the assassination 25 ft. from the car path in the Plaza.

64. CHE 113 64 Harper Bone/Kennedy mcadams.posc.mu.edu/ harper.htm Believed to be a parietal bone

65. CHE 113 65 Harper Bone - Kennedy

66. CHE 113 66 Forensic Anthropology http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_min d/forensics/anthropology/1.htmlhttp://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_min d/forensics/anthropology/1.html http://www.forensicanthro.com/ http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/biology/for ensics/index.shtml

67. CHE 113 67 Forensic Anthropology Conclusions and Summary 1. General Description 2. Sex of decedent 3. Age of decedent 4. Ancestry of decedent 5. Stature of decedent 6. Assessment of trauma (ante-, peri-, post mortem) 7. Pathologies noted Exclusionary and identification evidence Class and individual evidence

68. CHE 113 68