FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

WHAT IS IT?

WHAT DOES A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST DO?

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST?

 FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

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
CASE STUDY
WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

• Determination of Sex
• Pelvis
• Skull
• Determination of Race
• Skull
• Approximate Age
• Growth of long bones
• Approximate Stature
• Length of long bones
• Postmortem or antimortem injuries
• Postmortem interval (time of death)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_anthropology
 ANTHROPOLOGY

Study of humans – holistic view

5 subdisciplines:

1. Biological, or physical anthropology

2. Archaeology

3. Cultural anthropology
4. Linguistics
5. Applied Anthropology
WHAT DO FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS
DO?

Consulting: Part-Time

Medical Examiner’s Office: Full-Time

Government: Department Of Forensic Science

 CONSULTING CASES
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
OSTEOLOGY: STUDY OF SKELETAL
REMAINS
Each bone studied INDIVIDUALLY

Frontal

Maxilla
Parietal
OSTEOLOGY

Human bone –vs- Animal bone

Macroscopic differences

Microscopic differences
Greater Trocanter MACROSCOPIC DIFFERENCES

Head

Lesser Trocanter

Medail and Lateral

epicondyles (patellar
side)

Baboon femur Human femur

 MICROSCOPIC DIFFERENCES

This is a microphone is human bone is used to identify human remains from other mammals.
The round features are secondary osteons photographed using polarizing light.
MICROSCOPIC DIFFERENCES

Animal bone thin section Human bone thin section

OSTEOLOGY

Parts of bone important to know

Ridges
Projections
Grooves
Openings (foramina)
OSTEOLOGY

Teeth also studied

Deciduous –vs- Permanent

 OSTEOLOGY

Radiographs
 INFORMATION DERIVED FROM
SKELETAL REMAINS

SEX of decedent
Hip bone

Skull

Pubic face
Sciatic notch
PELVIC GIRDLE – MALE VS. FEMALE

Female

(Fibrocartilage)

Male
 1. Determination of Sex
• Pelvis is the best bones (differences due to
adaptations to childbirth)
1. females have wider subpubic angle
2. females have a sciatic notch > 90°
3. females have a broad pelvic inlet

2. 2.
3. 3.

1. 1.
SEX DETERMINATION - SKULL

Trait Female Male

Upper Edge of Eye Orbit Sharp Blunt
Shape of Eye Orbit Round Square
Not expressed beyond
Expressed beyond external
Zygomatic Process external auditory
auditory meatus
meatus
Nuchal Crest (Occipital
Smooth Rough and bumpy
Bone)
External Occipital
Generally Absent Generally present
Protuberance
Frontal Bone Round, globular Low, slanting
Mandible shape Rounded, V-shaped Square, U-shaped
Ramus of mandible Slanting Straight
DETERMINING AGE AT DEATH
INFANT SKULL OR NOT?
TEETH

Have deciduous teeth fallen out?

Have wisdom teeth erupted?
 2. AGE DETERMINATION: USE OF
TEETH

http://images.main.uab.edu/healthsys/ei_0017.gif
http://www.forensicdentistryonline.org/Forensic_pages_1/images/Lakars_5yo.jpg
EPIPHYSES
An epiphysis is a region of bone
growth found at the ends of bone
shafts.

These regions are not fused to the

rest of the bone shaft during the
ages of growth.

Once growth has ceased, they fuse

with the shaft. Usually after the
age of 17.
Fused = Adult
Unfused epiphyseal plate = juvenile (under age 17)
FUSED EPIPHYSIS

Older Even Older

FUSED EPIPHYSIS
EPIPHYSEAL
FUSION:
A GENERAL GUIDE
DETERMINATION OF AGE FROM BONES

• Ages 0-5: teeth are best – forensic odontology

• Baby teeth are lost and adult teeth erupt in predictable patterns
• Ages 6-25: epiphyseal fusion – fusion of bone ends to bone
shaft
• epiphyseal fusion varies with sex and is typically complete by age
25
• Ages 25-40: very hard
• Ages 40+: basically wear and tear on bones
• periodontal disease, arthritis, breakdown of pelvis, etc.
• Can also use ossification of bones such as those found in the
cranium
DETERMINING
ANCESTRY
MORE INFO FROM SKELETAL
REMAINS
Ancestry of decedent

Difficult determination to make

Facial bones most important
Nasal aperture
Teeth
Interorbital space
Mandible
 Negroid/African Skull
Mongoloid/Asian Skull

Caucasian/European Skull
Aboriginal/Australian Skull
DETERMINING STATURE
DETERMINATION OF STATURE
• Long bone length (femur, tibia, humerus) is
proportional to the height
• For example, images from a skull and pelvis you
determined the individual was an adult Caucasian, the
height would be determined by:
• Humerus length = 30.8 cm
• Height = 2.89 (MLH) + 78.10 cm
= 2.89 (30.8) + 78.10 cm
= 167 cm (5’6”) ± 4.57 cm
STATURE ESTIMATE

Measure long bone(s) available

Plug in value to a formula

Range established for stature of decedent

5’ 2” – 5’ 5”
DETERMINING CAUSE OF DEATH OR
OTHER INJURIES
 OTHER INFO…

TRAUMA and PATHOLOGIES

Antemortem – before death

Postmortem – after death

Perimortem – at death or around time of death

 PERIMORTEM INJURIES

Iron age period male with perimortem sword

wound to the skull.

Injury occurred at or around the time of death and may have even caused the death
ANTEMORTEM INJURIES
Injuries that occurred during the
decedent's lifetime appear
healed.
THE END