Download Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Anthropology
Study of bones
Questions to ask about bones
1. Are the bones human?
2. What was the ____ of the individual?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Size
Age
Sex
Race
Occupation
3. How long has the person been dead?
4. What is the cause and manner of death?
What was person’s size?
• Estimated height of female: (centimeters)
H= femur length x 2.21 + 61.41
H= tibia length X 2.53 + 72.57
H= humerus length X 3.14 + 64.97
• Estimated height of male (cm)
H= femur length x 2.23 + 69.08
H= tibia length X 2.39 + 81.68
H= humerus length X 2.97 + 73.57
What was the person’s age?
• Look at:
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Teeth (20 baby teeth)
32 permanent teeth in adults (complete by age 12)
Skull (sutures fuse over time)
Long bones
Pelvis
Ribs:
Bone density
• Easier in younger victims as bones and teeth
develop
Long bones
• Epiphysis: ends of long bones
• Diaphysis: shaft of long bones
• ossification- fusing of epiphysis and
diaphysis
• Bones don’t completely fuse until age 25
Birth (300 bones)
Adult (206 bones)
Ribs
• Sternal areas – where ribs join breastbone
• Young- smooth and rounded
• Older- pitted and sharp
What was the person’s sex?
• Not easy until puberty
• In males:
– Size and bone thickness greater
– Diameters of the heads of the humerus,
radius and femur are larger
Sex determination
(pelvis)
Female
Male
Wide/shallow
Narrow/deep
U shaped subpubic
angle
wider sciatic notch
V shaped subpubic
angle
Small sciatic notch
smoother
rougher
Small muscle
attachments
(ridges)
Large muscle
attachments
(ridges)
Pubic symphysis
• Cartilage between 2 bones
• During pregnancy, a hormone softens the
cartilage, and scars (pits) are formed.
Sex Determination
(skulls)
Females
Males
Vertical forehead
Sloping forehead
Smaller ridges/crests
Larger ridges/crests
Narrow zygomatic
Wide zygomatic
Small mandible
Large mandible
Narrow ascending ramus
(straight)
Small mastoid process
Wide ascending ramus
(slight curve)
Large mastoid process
No occipital protuberance
occipital protuberance
What was the person’s race?
• Caucasian
• Negroid
• Mongoloid
• Difficult
Caucasians
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High, rounded, or square skulls
Straight faces
Narrow, protruding noses
Triangular eye sockets
Negroid
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Lower and narrower skulls
Wider, flatter noses
Prominent, protruding teeth
Square eyes
Mongoloids
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Broad, round skulls
Arched profile
Round eye sockets
Wide facial dimensions
What was their occupation?
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Stenographer - bumps on pelvis
Florist/typist – arthritic fingers
Milked cows – bumps on neck bones
Seamstress (pins)- notch in front tooth
Pipe smoker - worn edge on front tooth
Horse rider - larger ridges on femur
Occupation?
• Weightlifter - large ridge on humerus
• Clarinet player- small bumps at hinge of
jaw
• Trumpet player-large ridges on clavicle
Other evidence for ID
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Clothing, jewelry
Healed fractures
Nicks in bones from knives or gunshots
Artificial hips or pacemakers
Bone cancers
Dental patterns
DNA from teeth or bones
Mitochondrial DNA
How long has the person been
dead?
• PMI = Post-mortem Interval
Post-Mortem Interval
1. Examine artifacts at the burial site
2. Chemical analyses
- breakdown of nitrogen
- breakdown of amino acids
3. UV light
- fresh bones fluoresce (glow) pale blue
- diminishes over time, from outside in
4. Radioactive isotopes
- increased amounts since 1950
- strontium 90, cesium 137, tritium
• Antemortem- before death
Fractured bones will heal
Callus- scar formation at the injury site
• Perimortem- at time of death
»No healing, no callus
Bones affected by:
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Occupation
Right handed or left handed
Activity level
Nutrition
Disease
Health
Disease
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Arthritis
Anemia
Osteoporosis
Too many minerals in the water
Malnutrition
Facial Reconstruction
• http://www.forensicartist.com/reconstructio
n.html
Other websites
• http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/
• http://medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/GEN
ERAL.html
• http://www.afip.org/Departments/edu/upco
ming.htm