FORENSIC FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGYANTHROPOLOGY

WHAT IS IT?

WHAT DOES A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST DO?

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST?

Forensic AnthropologyForensic Anthropology

Defined as “the field of study that deals with the analysis of humanskeletal remains resulting from unexplained deaths.”

Often done in a legal context

An applied science

ANTHROPOLOGYANTHROPOLOGY

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 What do forensic anthropologists do?anthropologists do?

CONSULTING: PART-TIME

MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE: FULL-TIME

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Consulting CasesConsulting Cases

Goal: Biological Profile

Includes:1. General Description2. Sex of decedent3. Age of decedent4. Ancestry of decedent5. Stature of decedent6. Assessment of trauma (ante-, peri-, post mortem)7. Pathologies noted

Osteology: study of skeletal remainsOsteology: study of skeletal remains

Each bone studied INDIVIDUALLY

Frontal

Parietal

Maxilla

OsteologyOsteology

Human bone –vs- Animal bone

Macroscopic differences

Microscopic differences

Macroscopic differences

Baboon femur Human femur

Greater Trocanter

Lesser Trocanter

Head

Medail and Lateral epicondyles

(patellar side)

                                                                                                                        This is a microphoto is human bone use to id human remains from other mammals.  The round features are secondary osteons photographed using polarizing light.

Microscopic differences

Microscopic differencesMicroscopic differences

Dinosaur bone thin section

Human bone thin section

OsteologyOsteology

Parts of bone important to know

Ridges

Projections

Grooves

Openings (foramina)

OsteologyOsteology

Teeth also studied

Deciduous –vs- Permanent

OsteologyOsteology

Radiographs

Information derived from Information derived from skeletal remainsskeletal remains

SEX of decedent

Hip bone

Skull

Sciatic notchPubic face

Pelvic Girdle – Male vs. Female

Female

Male

(Fibrocartilage)

Determining Age At Death

Infant Skull or Not?

Teeth

Have deciduous teeth fallen out?Have wisdom teeth erupted?

EpiphysesEpiphyses

Fused = adult

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 grwoth.

Once growth has ceased, they fuse with the shaft. Usually after the age of 17.

Unfused epiphyseal plate = juvenile (under age 17)

Fused EpiphysisFused Epiphysis

Older Even Older

Determining AncestryDetermining Ancestry

More info from skeletal remainsMore info from skeletal remains

ANCESTRY of decedent

Difficult determination to make

Facial bones most important

Nasal aperture

TeethInterorbital space

Mandible

Mongoloid/Asian Skull

Caucasian/European Skull

Negroid/African Skull

Aboriginal/Australian Skull

Determining StatureDetermining Stature

Stature estimateStature 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 Determining Cause of Death or Other InjuriesOther Injuries

Other info…Other info…

TRAUMA and PATHOLOGIES

Antemortem – before death

Postmortem – after death

Perimortem – at death or around time of death

Perimortem InjuriesPerimortem Injuries

Injury occurred at or around the time of death and may have even caused the death

Iron age period male with perimortem sword wound to the skull. 

Antemortem Injuries

Injuries that occurred during the decedent's lifetime – they appear healed.

Antemortem Injuries

Postmortem Changes

The Inca Battlefield Mystery

• www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/inca/grav-nf.html

Rediscovering Pompeiani

• Giuseppe Fiorelli took charge of the excavations in 1860. During early excavations of the site, occasional voids in the ash layer had been found that contained human remains.

• It was Fiorelli who realized these were spaces left by the decomposed bodies and so devised the technique of injecting plaster into them to perfectly recreate the forms of Vesuvius's victims.

• What resulted were highly accurate and eerie forms of the doomed Pompeiani who failed to escape, in their last moment of life, with the expression of terror often quite clearly visible.

• This technique is still in use today, with resin now used instead of plaster because it is more durable.

THE END