Introduction to Forensic Anthropology

1. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology Using principles of physical anthropology to help law enforcement establish a cause of death.

2. Requirements: • Masters degree (and preferably a PhD) in physical anthropology.

3. Contributions of Forensic Anthropologists: • Identification of the deceased. • Time since death. • Cause of death.

4. Basic Anthropological Analysis: • Sex • Ancestry (race) • Approximate age at death • Stature • Weight

5. Determination of Sex: • Skull • Pelvic complex

6. Male vs Female Skull: • Mastoid process • Brow ridge • Superior margin of the orbit • Shape of the chin • Nuchal ridge or crest • Inion hook • Overall size of individual bones

7. Supraorbital ridge (brow) – more prominent. Occular orbit (eye) – more square & small in males Supraorbital margin – blunt Glabella - present Supraorbital ridge (brow) – less prominent. Occular orbit (eye)- larger and round Supraorbital margin – sharp Glabella - absent Male vs Female Skull:

8. Teeth – larger Chin – square or “U” shaped. Jaw line – more angular (L-shaped) Zygomatic process – extends beyond e.a.m. Forehead – more sloping, less round Teeth – smaller Chin – “V” shaped Jaw line – less angular (sloping) Zygomatic process – not as prominent & doesn’t extend beyond e.a.m. Forehead – Less sloped, vertical, full Male vs Female Skull:

9. Gonial angle – projecting or flaring. Mastoid process - larger Gonial angle – no flaring. Mastoid process – smaller, shorter Male vs Female Skull:

10. Male vs Female Pelvis: • Sciatic notch • Subpubic angle • Shape of sacrum • Fused sacrum/coccyx

11. Pelvic inlet – narrow and heart shaped Pubis body width is 25 – 30 mm Ventral arc – absent Subpubic angle - <90 Obturator foramen – oval Pelvic inlet – broad and more circular Pubis body width is about 40 mm Ventral arc – present Subpubic angle - >90 Obturator foramen - triangular Male vs Female Pelvis:

12. Greater sciatic notch – narrow, deep, <90 degrees Acetabulum – large and shallow Sacrum – curved Sacrum/coccyx - fused Greater sciatic notch – wide, >90 degrees Acetabulum – small and deep Sacrum – straight Sacrum/coccyx – not fused Male vs Female Pelvis

13. Vertical diameter of head of femur Male > 45.5 mm Probably male 44.5 to 45.5 Indefinite sex 43.5 to 44.5 Vertical diameter of head of femur Female <41.5 Probably female 41.5 to 43.5 Indefinite sex 43.5 to 44.5 Male vs Female Femur:

14. Trochanteric oblique length Male > 450 mm Probably male is 430 to 450 mm Indefinite sex is 405 to 430 mm Trochanteric oblique length Female < 390 mm Probably female is 390 to 405 mm Indefinite sex is 405 to 430 mm Male vs Female Femur:

15. Calculating Height of Skeleton: • Mongoloid = 2.15 x (oblique length in cm) + 72.57 • Africoid = 2.10 x (oblique length in cm) + 72.22 • Caucasoid = 2.32 x (oblique length in cm) + 65.53

16. Calculating Age of Skeleton:

17. Ancestry • The skull is the determining skeletal component in determining ancestry. • 3 Basic Ancestral Types: • Caucasoid • Africoid • Mongoloid

18. Ancestry: • Caucasoid – Whites, Western Europeans • Africoid – Northern, Central & Southern Americas and Africa • Mongoloids – Orientals, Native Americans

19. Did You Know: • Before puberty, determination of the sex of skeletal remains usually cannot be determined.

20. Caucasoid: • “Thin face” • No prognathism • High forehead • Narrow nasal opening • Simple molar crowns • Presence of nasal sill (sharp) • Pinched & prominent nuchal ridge

21. Caucasoid: • Inion hook • Angular & sloping eye orbit • Round external auditory meatus • Triangle shaped palate • Tear shaped nasal cavity • Prominent & projecting chin profile

22. Caucasoid: • Cranial index of 75 to 80 (mesocranic) • Arched sagittal contour • Zygomatic arches are narrow and retreating

23. Africoid: • Wide face • Prognathism • Round & wide nasal cavity or opening • Crenulated or complex molar crowns • Presence of nasal gutter (dull) • Slightly pinched nuchal ridge • Square or rectangular eye orbit

24. Africoid: • Round external auditory meatus • Rectangle shaped palate • Rounded chin profile • Cranial index of less than 75, dolicocranic • Sagittal contour is flat with depressions • Zygomatic arches are medium to large and retreating.

25. Mongoloid: • Wide face • No prognathism • Wide & oval shaped nasal cavity or opening • Shovel shaped incisors • Absent nuchal ridge • Round & nonsloping eye orbit • Metopic suture (may or may not be present)

26. Mongoloid: • Oval shaped external auditory meatus • Parabolic or horseshoe shaped palate • Keeling of skull vault • Slightly projecting chin profile • Cranial index of greater than 80 (brachycranic) • Sagittal contour is arched • Zygomatic arches are projecting

27. Differences Between Human and Non-Human Skeletal Remains: • When no skull is apparent, animal bones can often be confused with human bones. • Anthropologist use several methods to distinguish between human and animal bones.

28. Methods Used To Distinguish Human from Non-Human Bones: • Bone cells • Ribs • Limbs • Upper Limbs • Lower Limbs

29. Bone Cells • Human bone cells are very round. • Animal bone cells are more rectangular/linear.

30. Ribs • Human ribs tend to be curved or C-shaped. • The overall number of ribs in a human tends to be less than 12. • Most animal ribs tend to be straight/linear. • The overall number of ribs in an animal tends to be greater than 12. • (ex: sheep = 13)

31. Limbs • Human limbs from children will have unfused epiphyses regions. • Animal limbs will have fused epiphyses regions.

32. Upper Limbs • The upper arm bones of a human will have a smaller tubercle region on the upper part of the bone and also fewer projections extending from the upper part as compared to animal bones. • Human arm bones also tend to be more linear/straight, while animal limb bones tend to be curved.

33. Lower Limbs • The upper leg bone (femur) of a human has a large trochanter at its upper head portion compared to animal bones. • Also, the upper head portion of a human femur is angular, while animal bones have a more flat upper head portion. • The lower leg bones (tibia) of animal have multiplenotches upon their upper portion while human bones do not.