Forensic Anthropology Identifies skeletal Remains where bones are the only evidence

Responsibilities Assist in investigation of crimes

Examine and analyze human remains

Skills used to… Recover individuals from crime scene

Reconstruct remains to analyze effects of trauma

Identify human remains …when conventional methods cannot be used

Give expert testimony

Remains human? Single individual or several? When did death occur? Was the body disturbed post-mortem? Gender, race, age? Cause of death? Type of death? Signs of disease, old injuries? Height, weight, physique estimated?

Functions of the Skeleton: Internal structure and support Protection of vital organs Attachment for muscles Make blood cells Storage of minerals

Types of bones: Long Short Flat Irregular

***Most accurate if body is found within 24 hours of death A.Algor mortis; cooling of the body after death Body cools at approx degrees per hour until environmental temp is reached. Researcher must consider factors such as… Environmental temp. Type of clothing Is clothing wet? (aids cooling) Air movement (aids cooling) Layers of clothing (prevents cooling) Surface area/body mass ratio (small bodies will cool more quickly) Glaister formula gives hours elapsed: 98.4 – internal temp ________________ 1.5

B. Livor mortis; purple or red discoloration of the skin after death, caused by pooling of the blood due to gravity. Begins.5 hr after death, most evident within 12 hr. After 12 hr discoloration will not move regardless of how the body is handled or moved. Areas in contact with ground (or anything) show no discoloration because capillaries are compressed. C. Rigor mortis; stiffness in skeletal muscles 2-3 hrs after death, lasting until ~30 hrs. Smaller muscles first. Affected by temp, dehydration, condition of muscles, use prior to death, etc.

Osteology; the study of bones Osteons;

In animals, these osteons would occur in rows (osteon banding) or rectagular shapes (plexiform bone).

…using long bones. humerus radius femur tibia

Since men and women have different proportions of long bone length to total body height, we have a different formula for each sex… Height (cm)=femur x femur x tibia x tibia x humerus x humerus x radius x radius x

Using the pelvis

These three bones fuse together to make the os coxa, or half of the pelvis.

Use page 421 to add other features

Epiphyses; growth plates at the end of long bones that fuse to the bone during early adulthood. (pg 423 of text)

Using cranial sutures

Sagittal Suture closed:26 or older29 or older Sagittal Suture completely open:Younger than 32Younger than 35

Using the os pubis Furrows (youngest) SmoothBreakdown of bone

1.Caucasoid; European, Middle Eastern, East Indian descent 2.Negroid; African, Aboriginal, Melanesian descent 3.Mongoloid; Asian, Native American, Polynesian descent

History of Forensic Anthropology A. End of 19 th century B. Dr. Thomas Dwight “Father of American ( ) Forensic Anthropology”

Dr. Thomas Dwight.. Looked at clues to ID a person from bones

Other leading forensic anthropologists  Dr. George Dorsey National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution LUETGERT CASE

Dr. T.D. Stewart Curator from the Smithsonian Institute Helped ID casualties from WWII and the Korean War

CILHI C entral I dentification L aboratory in H awai i

1. Responsibility  Identify and repatriate American soldiers

2. How remains are analyzed.. Teams travel to field locations

Statistical methods are used To differentiate remains from those of the native population

The remains are taken to CILHI Where a biological profile is created and compared to a database

Multidisciplinary approach TEAM APPROACH

Forensic Pathology Determines cause and manner of death by autopsy