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Osteology
Each bone studied individually.
Forensic Anthropology
The study of human skeletal remains to determine sex, age, race, and time of death in an effort to identify an individual.
Anthropo
is Greek for humankind or man.
Sex of a person
is determined by the pelvis and skull
Race
is determined by the skull
Approximate Age
is determined by the GROWTH of long bones
Approximate Statures (height)
is determined by the LENGTH of long bones
Sex
is BEST determined by the pelvis
Females
have a wider sub-pubic arch angle, greater than 90 degrees, and a broad pelvic inlet. They also have a shovel-like ilium.
Male cranium
has more crests and ridges than the female cranium
Males have a:
more square chin and more forehead slopes than females.
Female humerus
is 305.9 mm
Male humerus
is 339.0 mm
Three-race model
is used to categorize traits: Caucasian, Asian, and African.
Skeletal indicators
are non-metric traits which can be subjective.
What is a critical part of the overall identification of an individual's remains?
Race determination
Empirical (measurable) and Observational (non-measurable)
are two ways of determining race of a skull
Empirical
includes measuring the cranial, facial, and nasal index
Observational
includes the eye orbit shape, mastoid process size/projection, and prognathism
Prognathism
the protruding of the lower jaw. (Most evident in Negroid skulls)
Orthognathism
No protusion of lower jaw (Most evident in caucasoid skulls)
Nasal spine
bony projection that sticks out at the base of the nose. (The shape varies between races)
Nasal silling
the bottom of the nasal spine points outward forming a "spout."
Nasal guttering
lacking a sill at the bottom of the nasal aperture.
Gonial angle
the angle of the jaw (rounded or not rounded)
Mandible
the shape of the jaw (either rounded or squared)
Eye orbit
the bony area surrounding an eyeball.
Long bones
are those that grow primarily by elongation at an epiphysis at one end of the growing bone. (i.e. femurs, humeri, tibias, and fibulas, radii, and ulnas of the arms, and the phalanges of the fingers and toes.)
Forensic odontology
study of teeth (is a determination of age)
Epiphyseal fusion
fusion of bone ends to bone shaft (epiphyseal fusion varies with sex and is completed by age 25; also a determination of age)
