Download Age

Objective

Describe Forensic Anthropology and how
it is used to solve crimes.
Warm-Up: Video

http://www.hulu.com/watch/474025#i0,p0
,d0

As you watch the video, write down key
words/identifiers of victim’s age.
Let the bones tell the story!
Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Punuk.Alaska.skulls.jpg
Presentation developed by T. Trimpe 2010 http://sciencespot.net
What role do anthropologists play in solving crimes?
Watch the video and then answer the questions.
1. What does a physical anthropologist investigate?
2. What four things do we want to know about a skeleton?
3. What bones are most useful for developing a profile of a person? Explain how
they are used.
HOW MANY BONES ARE IN THE
ADULT HUMAN BODY?
206
What is bone?
Living tissue made of cells within a
matrix of protein (mostly collagen) and
minerals (calcium and phosphorous)
 The skeleton is one part of the body that
takes the longest to decay


Bones can last for 100s to 1,000s of
years
Source: http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/bone_basics.html
Simple Composition of Bones

Outer layer: smooth,
compact bones
 Inner layer: spongy,
porous bone

Bone Marrow –
responsible for
producing red &
white blood cells
Source: http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/index.htmlcc
Left femur (thigh bone), coronal section Image
courtesy of: Smithsonian National Museum of
Natural History
More Accurate Composition of
Bones

Clues for determining age lie within the
Epiphysis:
Source; http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/appliedanatomy/2_anatomy_skeleton_rev4.shtml
Determining Age - Epiphysis

Ossification of cartilage creates bone
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/images/bone_growth.gif
Technology for Determining Age

An x-ray image (radiograph) of a child will
reveal a dark area where the growth plates
are still made of cartilage (more x-rays can
pass through cartilage, which is less dense,
thus making a dark area); these areas are the
epiphyseal plates.
 An x-ray radiograph of an adult will reveal a
white area where the growth plates have been
turned into bone (fewer x-rays can pass
through bone, which is more dense, thus
making a white line); these areas are the
epiphyseal lines.
Circle the Appropriate Answer
Epiphyseal Plate or Line
Epiphyseal Plate or Line
Adult or Child
Adult or Child
Facts about Aging
Normal growth stops around Age 17-25
 Clavicle is last bone to stop growing (age
25)
 Tibia completes growth by:

Age 16-17 (female)
 Age 18-19 (male)

Clavicle. Image courtesy of: Smithsonian Institution
Source: http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/index.htmlcc
Determining Age
Children
 Teeth are best age
indicator
 Higher presence of
cartilage in epiphysis
 Length of long bones is
good indicator for
estimation of age
Source: http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/index.html
Adults
 Pelvis best age indicator
 Cranium, pubic bone
and rib ends hold
information to determine
age
 Osteons – smaller
osteons
 Cranial sutures
 Arthritis
Like Fingerprints… just can’t be seen
until antemortem
Adult skull has no remaining suture (called the frontal suture) in the middle of the Frontal
bone. Remember, also, that all the sutures ultimately become more filled-in ("closed") as we age.
Circle the Appropriate Answer
Frontal Suture Present or Absent
Frontal Suture Present or Absent
Other Sutures "Open" or "Closed"
Other Sutures "Open" or "Closed"
Adolescent or Adult
Adolescent or Adult
Male or Female?
Male



Narrower, heart-shaped
pelvic inlet
Narrower sciatic notch
Narrower angle where the
two pubic bones meet in front
Female




Open, circular pelvic inlet
Broader sciatic notch
Wider angle where the two
pubic bones meet in front
More outwardly flared hip
bones
Source: http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/index.html
[Left] Male pelvis. [Right] Female pelvis.
Image courtesy: Smithsonian Institution
Gender- Pelvis
Try it out
•
Angle > 90 degrees or < 90 degrees
Angle > 90 degrees or < 90 degrees
Sacrum Forward or Backward
Sacrum Forward or Backward
Pelvic Outlet Small or Large
Pelvic Outlet Small or Large
Ilia Close or Spread
Ilia Close or Spread
Female or Male
Female or Male
Gender Differences in the Skull
Landmarks
Female
Male
Chin
Rounded
Square
Small
Large
Small
Large
Mastoid Process
(Behind Ear)
External Occipital Protuberance
(Back of Skull)
(Not Prominent)
General Anatomy
Gracile (i.e., Graceful)
Forehead
Vertical
Brow Ridges
(Location of Eyebrows)
Muscle Lines
Orbital Margins
(Edge of Eye Socket)
Angle of Ascending Ramus
(Back Corner of the Jaw)
(Prominent)
Robust
Receding
(Careful with the comments . . .)
Slightly Developed
Prominent
Slightly Developed
Prominent
Sharp
Rounded
Obtuse
Close to 90 degrees
Circle the Appropriate Answer
Chin Rounded or Square
Chin Rounded or Square
Mastoid Process Small or Large
Mastoid Process Small or Large
Occipital Protuberance Small or Large
Occipital Protuberance Small or Large
General Anatomy Gracile or Robust
General Anatomy Gracile or Robust
Forehead Vertical or Receding
Forehead Vertical or Receding
Brow Ridges Slight or Prominent
Brow Ridges Slight or Prominent
Muscle Lines Slight or Prominent
Muscle Lines Slight or Prominent
Orbital Margins Sharp or Rounded
Orbital Margins Sharp or Rounded
Angle of Ramus 90 degrees or Obtuse
Angle of Ramus 90 degrees or Obtuse
Gender Female or Male
Gender Female or Mal
FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS analyze
skeletal remains to determine the identity of a
victim as well as his/her life history, cause of
death, or other clues about a crime.
Main Characteristics:
 Sex - Determined by examining the skull,
pelvis, humerus, and femur
Which skull would belong to a female?
Age and stature (height/build) – Determined
by analyzing the development of the teeth, bone
growth, cranial suture lines, and the length of
specific bones, such as the femur.
 Race – Determined by analyzing the skull for
characteristics that are common among people
of different races.
Career Connection
What does a forensic
anthropologist do?
Which pelvis would belong to a female?
Source: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/excavation.html
Images: http://www.wadsworth.com/anthropology_d/special_features/forensics/forensics_index/index.html
Warm-Up: Video
http://www.hulu.com/watch/474025#i0,p0
,d0
 As you watch the video, again write
down key words/identifiers of victim’s
age.
 During the second viewing, assess
whether or not you think Dr. Brenan used
accurate anthropological data to
determine sex and age of victim

Questions:

What is the easiest way to determine the gender
(using the skeleton) of an individual, and why?
 What is the easiest way to tell (using the skeleton)
whether a teenager is lying about her/his age, and
why?
 Why can determining gender from a skull be difficult?
 Why should a forensic anthropologist use more than
one bone (if possible) to determine the height of an
individual?
 What other issue is important to question four,
especially if there is only one bone from which to
work?