1. Skeletal Identification by Race, Gender & Age

2. Identifying the Race of a Skull
· Forensic Anthropologists identify unidentified skeletal remains by studying and classifying different parts of the skeletal remains.
· To make the process simpler, they separate all skulls into three racial categories: Mongoloid, Negroid, and Caucasoid.
· Race is determined only by the skull if the skeleton is not of mixed nationalities.
· Gonial inversion, mid-facial characteristics, and dental arcade are among the factors which determine the race of the skull.
Picture:

3. The Mongoloid Skull · Narrow, short low-bridged nasal bones
- Diamond-shaped nose holes
- Variable profile:
· Vertical chin
· Squared zygomatic bones
- Medium nasal slits
- Medium cheek bones
- Least mandible projection
Picture:

5. The Negroid Skull · Characteristics: - Broad, flat, short nasal bridge
- Square nose holes
- Prognathic profile:
· Vertical chin
· Curved zygomatic bones
- Wider inter-orbital area
- Gutted nasal borders
- Largest nasal slits
- Prognarthic jaws
Picture:

7. The Caucasoid Skull · - Narrow, long high-bridged nasal bones
- Triangular nose holes
- Straight profile:
· Prominent chin
· Curved zygomatic bones
- Prominent nasal spine:
- Steeped nasals
- Smallest nasal slits
- Smallest cheek bones
Picture:

12. Skull and Teeth Gender Determinations
· Male skulls are larger than female skulls
· The male has a higher forehead than a female, and a
more sloping frontal area.
· Females have sharper superior orbital borders.
· Males have a more pronounced brow ridge.
· Supraorbital ridges are extreme in males and slight in
females.
· Square chins indicate male.
· Round chins indicate female.
Teeth
· Males have much larger teeth.
· Males have a larger mandible.
Picture:
Picture:

13. Pelvic Girdle Gender Determinations
Female Pelvic Girdles have:
· A greater pelvis width
· A greater pelvis opening
· Smaller sacrum length
· Smaller sacrum width
The lower part of the pelvis is angular in shape for males, and circular for females.
Picture: /0108_pelvis.asp
Picture: /0108_pelvis.asp

16. Femur Gender Determinations
· Attachment of the femur to the pelvic girdle
- Weight bearing surfaces are larger in males than in females.
- Greater distance from femur to femur in males than in females.
Pictures:
Pictures:

18. Age Determinations
Skull
· The cranium of a baby is not solid, but divided into four pieces.
· Studying the calvarium, which is much larger in relation to the face between ages 0-5, can determine age.
- The calvarium is much larger in relation to the face and mandible between ages 0-5.
- The brain sutures are very far apart.
· Studying a skull that is years of age demonstrates:
- A relatively larger skull size.
- Closer (almost meeting) brain sutures.
Picture:
Picture: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/bone5-60cran.jpg

19. Age Determination
Spinal Column
· Space between the cartilage and bones of a spinal column will lessen as a child ages.
Pelvic Girdle
· The pelvic girdle will not completely fuse the cartilage and bone during childhood.
· With increasing age, the two lowermost pelvic bones kit together where they meet.
Long Bones
· Epiphyseal rings begin to appear around the age of puberty.
· Cartilageneres plast separating epiphysist diaphysis remains in place for first 20 years of life.
Picture:
Pictures: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/
Pictures: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/

23. Age Determination--Jaws & Teeth
Newborn
· No teeth
· two sets of buds in jaw
- Primary teeth
- Permanent teeth
Age 1-3
· 20 Primary teeth by age three
Age 6-10
· Larger and stronger jaw
· Greater amount of muscle attached to jaw
· Buds for permanent teeth
· All permanent teeth are in by age 10
Young Adult
· Jaw shows complete set of permanent teeth (32)
· Wisdom teeth
· Molar development is apparent at age 18-21
Picture:
Picture: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/decid.html
Picture: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/dent18.html