Forensic Anthropology
Presented by:
Devon Wilson & Kiara Casanova
Focus Question:
What can bones tell us about the human’s life
before the time of death and what
characteristics can we conclude from their
remains?
What is an anthropologist?
Anthropology is the study of humankind.
A forensics anthropologist specializes in recovering and examining human
skeletal remains where legal questions are involved.
A forensic anthropologist would often be called in when a crime scene was
discovered where bones or a decomposed body was found.
The examiner would then determine the approximate time of death, damage
done to body before algor mortis.
What do they do?
●
Forensic anthropologists work strictly with human remains. Which may mean they
need to go to the crime sense to collect the remains.
●
Cleans up the bones so that they may be looked at
●
Analyzes skeletal remains to establish the profile of the individual
●
Looks at trauma evident on the bones to establish the pathway of a bullet or the
number of stab wounds
●
Works with a forensic odontologist (dentist) to match dental records
●
Testifies in court about the identity of the individual and/or the injuries that might
be evident in the skeleton
Cont.
Forensic anthropologists frequently work
Forensic
anthropologists
work
along side
with forensicfrequently
pathologists,
along
side with forensic
pathologists,
odontologists,
and homicide
investigators to
odontologists,
and homicide
investigators
identify a decedent,
document
trauma toto
the
identify
a decedent,
document
trauma to the
skeleton,
and estimate
the postmortem
skeleton,
interval.and estimate the postmortem
interval.
Here, a forensic anthropologist examines the
bone fragments found of a child who suffered
a gunshot to the frontal bone of the skull. This
particular picture is one of the many images
taken from the case where John Wayne Gacy
had murdered 33 boys and put them into the
crawlspace of his home to decompose.
Identifying Human Remains
When determining the gender of the remains, anthropologists examine the
pelvic bone. Specifically, anthropologists examine the sub-pubic angle. On
females, this angle is almost always around 90°. On males, the angle can
range from 52-82°.
When determining race, the anthropologist would focus on the skull if it is
present at the crime scene. The maxillary arch (upper jaw) forms 3 basic
shapes: hyperbolic, Parabolic, and rounded. Using these shapes, we can
examine the maxillary arch to figure out if the decedent is Asian (rounded),
European (parabolic) or African (hyperbolic).
Identifying cont’d
Determining the age of the remains found is conceptually
different from estimating the gender. The most reliable
way to determine age is to inspect the formation of the
teeth and their eruption through the gums.
Once your permanent teeth begin eruption, they grow in a
fairly predictable pattern that offers a time period where
you can draw conclusions about the age of the individual.
Bone Growth &
Development
Structure of Bones
A human baby is born with 450 bones. Over time with growth and
development, bones fuse together to form one structure. In fully
grown adult there are a total of 206 bones in the body.
When in the uterus, bones start out as soft cartilage. Osteoblasts then
migrate toward the center of these cartilaginous tissue and begin
depositing minerals.
The primary mineral, Calcium phosphate, then hardens to form bone.
This hardening process is known as Ossification.
Decomposition
When a body is exposed to the elements, the tissues, muscle and skin
decompose at a very rapid rate depending on the environment and climate.
If buried in a coffin 6 feet underground, it would take approximately 50-60
years for the flesh to be completely stripped from the bones.
Bones in a coffin could take hundreds of years to decompose. Bare bones
underground with no sort of protection could still take hundreds of years to
decompose.
BIB
http://fac.utk.edu/forensic.html
http://forensicsciencecentral.co.uk/anthropology.shtml
http://shs2.westport.k12.ct.us/forensics/11forensic_anthropology/skeletal_analysis_worksheet.htm