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Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Anthropology. Study of bones. Questions to ask about bones. Are the bones human? What was the ____ of the individual? Size Age Sex Race Occupation How long has the person been dead? What is the cause and manner of death?. What was person’s size?.

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Forensic Anthropology

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  1. Forensic Anthropology Study of bones

  2. Questions to ask about bones • Are the bones human? • What was the ____ of the individual? • Size • Age • Sex • Race • Occupation • How long has the person been dead? • What is the cause and manner of death?

  3. 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

  4. What was the person’s age? • Look at: • 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

  5. 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)

  6. Ribs • Sternal areas – where ribs join breastbone • Young- smooth and rounded • Older- pitted and sharp

  7. 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

  8. Sex determination(pelvis)

  9. Pubic symphysis • Cartilage between 2 bones • During pregnancy, a hormone softens the cartilage, and scars (pits) are formed.

  10. Sex Determination(skulls)

  11. What was the person’s race? • Caucasian • Negroid • Mongoloid • Difficult

  12. Caucasians • High, rounded, or square skulls • Straight faces • Narrow, protruding noses • Triangular eye sockets

  13. Negroid • Lower and narrower skulls • Wider, flatter noses • Prominent, protruding teeth • Square eyes

  14. Mongoloids • Broad, round skulls • Arched profile • Round eye sockets • Wide facial dimensions

  15. What was their occupation? • 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

  16. Occupation? • Weightlifter - large ridge on humerus • Clarinet player- small bumps at hinge of jaw • Trumpet player-large ridges on clavicle

  17. Other evidence for ID • 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

  18. How long has the person been dead? • PMI = Post-mortem Interval

  19. Post-Mortem Interval • Examine artifacts at the burial site • Chemical analyses - breakdown of nitrogen - breakdown of amino acids • UV light - fresh bones fluoresce (glow) pale blue - diminishes over time, from outside in • Radioactive isotopes - increased amounts since 1950 - strontium 90, cesium 137, tritium

  20. Antemortem- before death Fractured bones will heal Callus- scar formation at the injury site • Perimortem- at time of death • No healing, no callus

  21. Bones affected by: • Occupation • Right handed or left handed • Activity level • Nutrition • Disease • Health

  22. Disease • Arthritis • Anemia • Osteoporosis • Too many minerals in the water • Malnutrition

  23. Facial Reconstruction • http://www.forensicartist.com/reconstruction.html

  24. Other websites • http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/ • http://medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/GENERAL.html • http://www.afip.org/Departments/edu/upcoming.htm

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