Download Pathology 3: Anthropology

Forensic Anthropology
Pathology 3
Anthropology
• Anthropology
– Study of man
• Primarily three subfields
– Cultural anthropology
• Deals with human behavior, culture,
religion, etc.
– Archaeology
• Study of past cultures through artifacts
– Physical (biological) anthropology
• The study of human biological function &
variation, particularly skeletal biology
(osteology)
Forensic Anthropology
• Almost always within the field of osteology
– Analyzing skeletal remains to cases of legal importance
• Clues from bones:
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–
–
–
–
Age
Sex
Time of death
State of health
Trauma
• Three tasks of forensic anthropologist
– ID victim
• Age, sex, stature, ancestry, anomalies, pathology
– Reconstruct the postmortem period
– Provide data of the death event
Indicates the “big three” of skeletal
remains identification
Forensic Anthropologist
• Academic employment (university)
– Forensics is part-time work.
• Ph.D. in anthropology
– 4-7 years post B.S.
– 3 years of postdoctoral work
– Pass the American Board of Forensic
Anthropology written & practical exams
Caution: Following slides contain graphic
imagery of human remains.
Forensic Anthropology
Mass gravesite discovered near Srebrenica,
Serbia/Herzegovina in 1995. The Srebrenica Massacre” as
it came to be known, saw the death of perhaps over 8000
cilivians. The red flags mark the locations of skulls.
Forensic evidence from this site eventually led to the first
prosecuted case of genocide in Europe.
Forensic Anthropology
Mass gravesite discovered near Mosul, Iraq in 2003.
Anatomical Orientation
General Osteological Elements
Types of Bones
• Adult human
skeleton has 206
bones
– Approx. 450 at birth
• Human body has
four basic types of
bones
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–
–
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Long
Short
Flat
Irregular
Long Bones
• Tubular shaft and
articular (connected
to a joint) ends
– Includes the arm and
leg bones
• Femur, tibia, fibula
• Humerus, radius, ulna
• Generally grow from
the ends (Epiphysis)
– “Growth plates”
Growth Plates
Determination of juveniles and
teenagers can be estimated by
which growth plates have closed off
versus which ones are still in the
growth phase.
Short Bones
• Tubular shafts and articular ends but
noticeably smaller than long bones
– Includes hands, feet, clavicle
• Metacarpals, phalanges
• Metatarsals, phalanges
• Clavicle
Flat Bones
• Flat shaft, thin with
broad surfaces
– Includes the ribs,
scapula, sternum
Irregular Bones
• Miscellaneous
category that
includes bones that
vary in size and
shape
• Distributed
throughout the
skeleton
– Includes vertebrae,
carpals, tarsals,
patella
Determining Age
• Skull
– Calvarium (brain case)
much larger than rest of
skull in young children
– Look carefully at
dentition and jaw size
– Skull sutures begin to
close with age
Determining Age with the Skull
Determining Age with the Skull
Age and Skull Sutures
The various sutures of the skull
begin to close at varying ages in a
human’s life. A fairly accurate
determination of the age of the
person in question can be
determined by examining which
sutures are present and/or absent.
Determining Age
• Long bones
– Look for growth plates
• Disappear between
ages of 17-25
– Look at cartilage
• Degenerates with age
• Additional buildup of
bone at joints indicates
arthritic conditions
Determining Age with Long Bones
Determining Age
• Vertebra
– Like in the long
bones, look for
epiphyses sites
– Will disappear
by age 25
– Can also look at
overall spinal
alignment
• Can be a hint to
age and stature
Determining Age with Vertebrae
Determining Age with Vertebrae
Determining Age with Arthritis
Determining Sex
• Male and female features are different in
several key locations
– Based on muscle mass, size, childbirth,etc.
• Known as “sexual dimorphism”
– Common in most mammals and to a lesser extent
in other animal groups
Determining Sex
• Skull
– Generally in males:
•
•
•
•
Larger, squarer jaw
Larger brow ridges
Larger canines
Larger attachments for jaw muscles
Determining Sex
Determining Sex
• Pelvis
– Much wider in females to accommodate childbirth
– Flat end of the ilium is flat in males and more
rounded in females
Male
Female
Determining Sex
• Femur
– In general, male
femurs are larger than
females for two
individuals of the same
age
– Muscle attachments
for males are also
much more defined
Determining Sex
Determining Stature and Weight
• Very difficult to accurately accomplish
• Best methods use long bones
– Males generally show 5-10% taller stature
than a female of the same age
Calculations for Estimating Height of Caucasoid Male
Estimating Height by ________
Formula
Length of femur (cm)
Length x 2.38 + 61.41 = height (cm)
Length of tibia (cm)
Length x 2.52 + 78.62 = height (cm)
Length of fibula (cm)
Length x 2.68 + 71.78 = height (cm)
Determining Race
• Humans are divided into three
categories according to ancestry
– Caucasoid
– Negroid
– Mongoloid (includes Native American)
• Each ethnic group possesses subtle
skeletal differences that can be
identified by the trained eye
Caucasoid Facial Features
Negroid Facial Features
Mongoloid Facial Features
Race and Jaw Shape
Negroid
Mongoloid
Caucasoid
Race and Jaw Features
Only Negroid jaws
feature a pronounced
“hook” (known as a
ramus inversion) on
the backside of the
lower
jaw…Caucasoids and
Mongoloids do not
exhibit this
characteristic.
Caucasoid
If present, metopic sutures are usually a sign
of Caucasoids
Negroid Prognathism
If present, prognathism (jutting out) of the
lower jaw is usually a sign of Negroids
Mongoloid
If present, “Wormian bones” are usually a sign
of Mongoloids