Forensic Anthropology Portfolio Entry

A forensic anthropologist received bones from three decedents. Analyze the descriptions
provided in the table for each decedent and classify the bones by age, sex, ancestry, and
trauma type. Determine whether any of the decedents match a missing person report for a
Caucasian male who was about 5'10" and 24 years old.

Classification Decedent 1 Decedent 2 Decedent 3

Ancestry The skull has sloped The skull has a wide The skull has
orbits, a high and interorbital space prominent forward
prominent nasal between the eyes. Zygomatic Arches,
bone, and the teeth The teeth are more round orbits, and
are flat to the face. forward on the shovel-shaped
The face appears to face and are incisors. Identify the
be long and thin. spatula-shaped. The skull as European,
Identify the skull as orbits are rectangular Asian, or African.
European, Asian, or shaped. The nasal
African. aperture is wide.
Identify the skull as
European, Asian, or
African.

Age The skull has all The skull has mostly The skull has 4
permanent teeth primary teeth. The primary incisors and
including 3rd molars. permanent incisors 1 primary 1st molar.
Which of the and permanent 1st No permanent teeth
following age ranges molars were erupted. were noted and all
does this What is the other primary teeth
skull most likely approximate age of had not yet erupted.
belong to: 2-6 years, this decedent? What is the
8-15 years, or 21+ approximate age
years? Around 7 years old. range of this
decedent?

Around 2-6 years old

Sex Has a narrow pelvis Has a sacrum that Has a wider, more
with a heart-shaped tilts backward and the shallow pelvis with
pelvic inlet. The angle pelvis inlet is circular. hip bones that flare
at the Sciatic notch is The sciatic notch has outward slightly.
less than 90°. an obtuse angle.
Male Female
Female

Stature The femur is 17 unknown unknown

inches.
Estimated 177.3 cm
 Trauma Has a healed tibia Has a non-healed Has an infection on
fracture and animal Parry fracture. the leg with no signs
tooth marks on bone. Identify the trauma as of immune response.
Identify each trauma antemortem, Identify the trauma as
as antemortem, perimortem, or antemortem,
perimortem, or postmortem. perimortem, or
postmortem. postmortem.

The healed tibia The non-healed Parry The infection is most

fracture occurred fracture most likely likely postmortem
antemortem. The occurred perimortem. because the immune
animal bite marks, system cannot
because they are on respond.
the bone, occurred
postmortem.

The first of the three decedents matches the description of the missing caucasion male. The
remains are over 21 years old, and their height estimate is around 5’8. The description of the
missing person matches the remains fairly well, leading me to believe they are the same
person.