Download Forensic Anthropology

Honors Forensic Science
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A. “Bone Detectives”
B. Help police solve complex cases involving
unidentified human remains
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C. Often work in conjunction with forensic
pathologists, odontologists, homicide
detectives to identify a decedent, discover
evidence of foul play and/or the post-mortem
interval (how long the person has been dead)
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D. use the same basic technique as physical
anthropologists
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A. 1850’s Harvard Professor, Dr. Jefferies
Wyman led one of the first forensic
anthropology investigations
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A. Forensic Odontology – using dental
records
B. Forensic Archaeology – excavation of
remains
C. Forensic Entomology – how insects can
help determine time of death
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A. Determine if person was male or female
 i. Done by studying pelvis, base of skull, forehead,
and jaw
 Ii. Males – usually have more prominent brow
ridge, eye sockets, and jaw
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Iii. Women – usually have a wider pelvis
 1. can also usually tell if woman has given birth
due to separation of pelvic bones
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B. Determine approximately how old the
person was
 i. Bones changes throughout life
 Ii. Examine joints, bones, teeth
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Iii. Ex. The smoother the skull, the older the
person was. Babies have fontanelles on
heads, or soft spots because bones of skull
have not fused together
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Iv. Wrist bones continue to calcify until early
teens
V. Works best if decedent is under 30 years
old
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C. Use formulas to determine height
 i. Based on arm and leg bones
 Ii. Femur is best,
estimation can
also be made from
metacarpals in hand
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D. Determine a persons weight
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i. Based on wear on bones in certain points
Ii. Also use size, position, and types of muscle
attachments to bones
Iii. Also can identify what type of activity
person is involved in
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i. MAY be able to identify
Ii. Examine width and height of nose
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Iii. Caucasian – nose holes are triangular,
usually narrower face, more prominent chin
and higher nose
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Iv. Negroids – noses are more square. Femur
bones are generally straighter than other
groups
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V. Mongoloids – noses are more diamond
shape and cheek bones tend to point forward
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i. Ex. Is they played an instrument like the
flute or clarinet, teeth and mouth may be
affected
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Ii. Ex. Is worked in a physical labor job, bones
may be more dense
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G. Determine whether decedent was right or
left handed
 i. Usually more muscle attachment on bones on
dominant side
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H. Determine if victim was ever injured or
fractured a bone
 i. Can be compared to a
person’s medical x-rays
to confirm identity
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i. Look for signs of trauma to bones
Ii. Ex. Stab marks, marks on skull, broken
bones, bullets, pellets etc.
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i. Amount of soft tissue present
Ii. Weathering cracks on bones
Iii. Animal/rodent bites
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A. Most of these are class characteristics
B. Some are individual characteristics
C. Courts probably never rely completely on
forensic anthropological evidence
D. Provides corroborating evidence
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A. Creating a face from the skeleton to help
them identify the deceased
B. Eyes are hardest to do
C. Other difficult areas are nose and lips
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D. 3 Methods
 i. Layer skull with clay
 Ii. Sketches
 Iii. Computer assisted software (FACES)
▪ i. http:///www.facesinterquest.com