CHE 113

FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
A Very Brief Overview

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 Forensic Anthropology
Brief Overview
Defined as the field of study that deals with the analysis
of human skeletal remains resulting from unexplained
deaths.
Often done in a legal context
An applied science
Five subdisciplines:
1. Biological, or physical anthropology
2. Archaeology
3. Cultural anthropology
4. Linguistics
5. Applied anthropology
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 Forensic Anthropology
Goal: Biological Profile
Includes:
1. General Description
2. Sex of decedent
3. Age of decedent
4. Ancestry of decedent
5. Stature of decedent
6. Assessment of trauma
(ante-, peri-, post mortem)
7. Pathologies noted

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Osteology: study of skeletal remains
Each bone studied INDIVIDUALLY

206 Skeletal Bones (total)

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Osteology: study of skeletal remains
Each bone studied INDIVIDUALLY

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 Osteology
Human bone vs- Animal bone

Macroscopic differences
Radiology
Observation
Measurement
Microscopic differences

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Osteology

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Osteology

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 Macroscopic differences

Baboon femur Human femurCHE 113 9

 Microscopic differences

human

Spongy bone

mouse

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 Osteology
Radiographs

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Information from skeletal remains
Sex of decedent

Skull Hip bone Femur

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 Information from skeletal remains
Sex of decedent

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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
 Information
from skeletal
remains
Sex of decedent

MALE OR FEMALE
SKELETON?
(a) IS FEMALE and
(b) IS MALE

Handout

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 Information
from skeletal
Male remains
Sex of decedent

MALE OR FEMALE
SKELETON?
(a) IS FEMALE and
(b) IS MALE

Female

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 Information from skeletal remains
Sex of decedent

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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
What can we learn from skeletons?
Age at Death

Hip bone most useful for adults

Estimate given as a range
(30 35 yrs old)

Teeth: Erupted or Not?

Epiphyses: fused or unfused?

Auricular surface

Pubic symphysis
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Age at Death
Long Bone Development

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 Age at Death

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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
 Age at Death

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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
Odontology Forensic Dentistry
Teeth also studied

Deciduous vs- Permanent

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 Forensic Dentistry
At the scene of the crime, odontologists collect the skull or
remaining teeth, which are taken back to the forensic
laboratory for the postmortem dental investigation. X-rays
are taken and if the jaw is completely intact and the dental
records used to compare are recent, the
job of
proving a match is a relatively simple one.
Dentists mark on a chart the position of missing teeth,
crowns, bridges, fillings, caps, root canals and various other
treatments during a patient's routine check-up. The task
of identifying a victim is made more
difficult when the dentist records and x-
rays are out of date or when the skull is
severely damaged and has parts missing. CHE 113 22
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 Age at Death

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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
 Use of Forensic Dentistry
Forensic odontologists or in other words, forensic dentists,
have the job of examining dental evidence that is left behind
after a crime has been committed. Teeth are an excellent source of
identification, as they hard wearing and durable. With the ability to
survive fires that destroy evidence, burn human bones to
ashes and melt copper and glass, teeth are able to withstand
criminal's attempts to hide the crimes they've committed and the
evidence held within the crime scene and dental analysis provides a cost
efficient alternative to solving a crime.

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Ted Bundys Teeth

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Epiphyses - A part of bone separated from the main
body of the bone by a layer of cartilage and
subsequently uniting with the bone through further
ossification

Unfused = juvenile

Fused = adult
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Spine

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More info from skeletal remains
ANCESTRY of decedent

Difficult determination to make

Facial bones most important

Nasal aperture
Teeth
Interorbital space
Mandible

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 Stature estimate
Measure long bone(s) available

Plug in value to formula

Range established for stature of decedent

5 2 5 5

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 Other information
TRAUMA and PATHOLOGIES
Ante- mortem
Post-mortem
Peri-mortem

Gunshot CHE 113 32

Trauma

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 Individual Identification
Person identified when it
was found that the amalgam
used in her dental
restorations was of a type
found only in specific areas
on the Eastern Coast of the
United States.

Habitual activity can wear away the

protective, cartilagenous lining which
reduces friction in joints. The humerus in
this photograph were in contact for many
years prior to this individual's death. The
surfaces are smooth and shiny, indicating
that the joint capsule and cartilage had worn
away, allowing bone on bone contact in the
cavity.
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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
 Individual Identification
Dental implants, braces, and
other types of dental work
are often recovered with a
body and are extremely
useful in identification
because they are so unique
to the individual and are
well detailed in antemortem
radiographs and medical
records.

Healed fracture on the sternal end of a

midthoracic rib. The area within the red
brackets is the site of injury. Note the more
porous appearance of the bone in this area -
this is woven bone.

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http://medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sasta.html
 Case Study

From Prof. Ann Bunch

SUNY Oswego

September 1999 Tourist Aircraft Crash on the Big Island of Hawaii

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

Piper Aircraft with 9 passengers, 1 pilot

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

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Aircrafts path prior to crash & location of crash
Big Island Aircraft Crash

NTSB determination of cause = pilot error CHE 113 39

Big Island Aircraft Crash

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

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Big Island Aircraft Crash
Document remains
present

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

X-ray all remains/

Possible remains

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

Personal effects and

identification

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

Identification by
exclusion

Osteoarthritis

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

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Big Island Aircraft Crash

Sorting out commingling CHE 113 48

 Other Types of Evidence

Wreckage fragments

Wreckage in situ

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Race Determination Activity

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