Forensic Anthropology

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Forensic Anthropology

• Bones are our last and best witness they never
  lie and they never forget.
• Clyde Snow

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Definition

• Forensic anthropology is the application of the
  science of physical anthropology to the legal
  process.
• Forensic anthropologists apply standard
  scientific techniques developed in physical
  anthropology to identify human remains, and to
  assist in the detection of crime.

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What can bones tell us?

• Human or nonhuman
• Age
• Gender
• Stature
• History of trauma or disease
• Evidence for cause and manner of death
• Handedness type of occupation
• Racial determination not reliable

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Intact vs disarticulated(In which case is
identification easier?)
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Excavated remains
From Iron Age pit in Hampshire England
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Posterior viewScapulae not always noticed in
front view
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Do you see the scapulae here?
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Male and female skull
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Chimpanzee
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Neanderthal Skull
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Trephined cranium from Peru
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Osteocyte
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Microscopic bone structure
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Epiphyseal plate at the end of a long bone
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Developing long bone
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Traditional facial reconstruction
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Computer-aided facial reconstruction
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Bones of the skull
1. Parietal Bone 2. Coronal Suture 3. Frontal
Bone 4. Nasal Bone 5. Vomer 6. Lacrimal Bone 7.
Orbital Part of Ethmoid 8. Zygomatic Bone 9.
Maxilla 10. Body of Mandible 11. Ramus of
Mandible 12. Coronoid Process 13. Mandibular
Condyle 14. Mental Foramen 15. Styloid Process
16. External Acoustic Meatus 17. Mastoid Process
18. Zygomatic Process 19. Temporal Bone 20.
Greater Wing of Sphenoid 21. Inferior Temporal
Line 22. Superior Temporal Line 23. Squamosal
Suture 24. Lambdoidal Suture 25. Occipital Bone