I. Forensic Anthropology
A. Anthropology
a. Physical Anthropology
1.Human skeletal systems a.) Its changes b.) Variations (ex. age)
b. Archaeology
1. study the “remains” of human cultures from the past
2. What kinds of “things” would be left behind from a culture?
3.Trained to reconstruct events from the recent past
4.Trained to excavate bones from the ground
a.) use of Archaeology-reconstruct past events
Mass murders by the Saddam Hussin in Iraq
An Iraqi man sits amid bags containing 11,000 human remains exhumed Saturday from a mass grave site near Mahaweel, Iraq.
B. Forensic Anthropology
1. specializes in
the changes and
variations in the
human skeleton
for the purpose
of legal inquiry
2. provide
basic
identification
of
skeletonized
or badly
decomposed
remains.
3. From a bone or part of a bone, they may be able to determine the biological profile:
age range Sex Race height Cause of death
4. They look at
bodies that are
decomposed
badly burned
mummified
skeletonized
II.Osteology p. 412
A. The Study of bones 1. 206 bones in an adult
human 2. Osteons – the cells that
make up bone material
B. Bone Classification
1.Long bones -longer than wider
Ex. Limbs-the femur
or thigh bone
2. Short bones –
equidistant in size
Ex. Wrist or
ankle bones
3. Flat bones –
enclose major organs
Ex. Skull,ribs, sternum, hip bones, scapula
4. irregular bones –
oddly shaped
Ex. Vertebrae,
skull
C. Function of bones: “morphology”
1.Provides structure and rigidity
2.Protects soft tissue and organs
3.Serves as an attachment for muscles
4.Produces blood cells
D. Differences between Human and Animal bones
1.Osteons
a. in animals are regular in shape
b. in humans are irregular in shape
E. Gender Differences in Bones
1. The pelvis of the female is
wider. > 100o
2. Males have a narrow subpubic
angle < 100o (A)
Male Female
Sub Pubic Angle
3.Gender Differences
a. The ribcage /
shoulders of males
are wider/ larger than
females. (12prs)
1/20 people w an extra
rib. =more common -
males than females.
Females
Skull is rounder /forehead fuller
Jaw (mandible) smaller
Coccyx (tailbone)
Movable -why?
Males
Skull has larger brow/jaw
Pelvic bones are heavier/ rougher (muscle attach)
Maori Warrior of New Zealand
They are part of the Polynesian culture.
All Blacks
F. Race Identification of
skeletal remains:
1. Race is difficult to determine from most skeletal remains, especially since pure races are becoming uncommon.
2.Morphology is the description of the bone shape and its function
“FORM AND FUNCTION”
3. Which bone is the most useful for identifying race?
The Skull
a. Caucasoid—European, Middle
Eastern, and Asian Indian
b. Africoid—Sub-Sahara African,
Aborigine, and African American
c. Mongoloid—Asian, Native
American and Polynesian
4. Skull Categories
Observe: What differences do you notice
between these three skulls? Can you
determine race?
5. Skull Characteristics
a. Caucasoids have a long,
narrow nasal
aperture
oval orbits
narrow
zygomatic arches
narrow
mandibles.
a triangular palate
b. Africoids have a wide nasal
aperture
square orbits
more pronounced
zygomatic arches.
The long bones
are longer
a rectangular palate
c. Mongoloids
have a more rounded nasal aperture
rounded orbits
wide zygomatic
arches
more pointed
mandibles.
a broad, U-shaped palate
G. Age Determination
1. estimations from:
Teeth
Epiphyses or growth plates in long bones
Cranial sutures: appear as distinct lines in youth and gradually close from the inside out (fusion).
2. Children vs. Adults
Less cartilage in adults
Adults have longer ,thicker bones
Females stop at 18yrs
Males stop at 21yrs
Pelvic bones fuse
3. Age Determination Using 3
Cranial Sutures
Babies- “Fontanelles” soft spots in the skull, membranes between the flat bones.
Allow for compression during birth
Expansion during growth
a. Complete closure of all three major sutures
–Male—over 35
–Female—over 50
4. Skull Fusion over time