ANTHROP 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Intermediate Area, Pubic Arch, Human Tooth Development
27 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
TEN KEY QUESTIONS FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS ASK
1) Is it bone? Often we don’t have complete bones, in some cases the bone may
be burnt, if someone has tried to dispose it, burning changes the bone and
makes it look different. Other material may also look like bones, pieces of
wood, some of the plastic. We don't want to miss investigation, because bone
has changed appearance
2) Is it human? For example bear paws can be mistaken as human hands.
Without claws shape is very similar. Human and deer vertebrae, size and
appearance are very similar. Bones of infants and children can be confusing,
because very small. We have to look for key characteristics, if someone
comes in with a small bone, claims it is of a kid, it can be compared because
same size bone in a dog would be of an adult dog, meaning it would’ve been
developed, and everything will be fused together etc. Child bone is going to
be just pieces, child bone not everything is not fused up.
3) Is it modern or archaeological? Modern skeleton is for forensic, if remains are
60-80 years in ground, then there is very little chance of murder, may be other
reasons. Look at how presevence of the body. Look for things like Modern
treatments, dentures, funeral homes – they usually put eye caps in bodies, if
it was a funeral home it was probably legal, and just flooded. What type of
clothing, we wont sees ancient person wear modern suits, look for medical
treatments – screws, with serial numbers etc.
4) What bones are present? How complete are remains? Data sheets and lots of
photos, 3D scans used.
5) How many individuals are present? You may have teeth for 3 people,
estimate MNI – Minimum number of individuals, least number that account for
bones. Theoretically it could be one bone from 5 different people. But if we
have 4 hands, then at least two people. Most abundant bone, left and right
sides.
6) What is the sex? Easier for adult, indicator on sex don’t really develop till
puberty. Women are constructive with babies in mind, so pelvic of female
wider. Overlap but not same. Difference in shape of pelvic, female are
shallow and wide, male is tall and narrow. Subpubic angle is also different.
Males more acute angle, female is more of a 90. Another – sciatic notch,
tends to be narrower in male and wider in female. What about just skull?
Shape of jaw, lump behind ear
7) What is the age? Young people are harder, they are undergoing constant
changes, easier to detect age. Less reliable and variable with older adults,
tooth development, how teeth are forming, bones are forming, increase in
length, ends will fuse
8) What is the ancestry? Social rather than biological, we don’t have discrete
race, these artificial categories assume all members of a group share specific
traits, which is not true. There is a lot more variability within a race then
between races. Instead we use biological tendencies within and over
geographic. Northern European, skin color, looking at populations that were
historically were in one are that had a specific frequency of trait for that
Document Summary
Often we don"t have complete bones, in some cases the bone may be burnt, if someone has tried to dispose it, burning changes the bone and makes it look different. Other material may also look like bones, pieces of wood, some of the plastic. For example bear paws can be mistaken as human hands. Human and deer vertebrae, size and appearance are very similar. Bones of infants and children can be confusing, because very small. Modern skeleton is for forensic, if remains are. 60-80 years in ground, then there is very little chance of murder, may be other reasons. Look for things like modern treatments, dentures, funeral homes they usually put eye caps in bodies, if it was a funeral home it was probably legal, and just flooded. You may have teeth for 3 people, estimate mni minimum number of individuals, least number that account for bones. Theoretically it could be one bone from 5 different people.
