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