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G R A D E S 8 - 1 2M . W E T H E R B E E

THE SECRETS IN THE SKULL

FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

• Bones are often only remainders after a body decomposes• Forensic

anthropologists use bones to solve crimes• Can determine age,

race, sex, general health, and cause of death using bones

THE SKULL•Made up of 22 Bones

• Two regions• Cranium: • skull without the jaw

• Mandible: • lower jaw

THE BONES THAT MAKE UP THE SKULL

TEETH• Four different types• Incisors• Canines• Premolars• Molars

• Also used to identify a victim • X-rays/dental records

SEX• Men• More prominent• Slanted frontal bone• Pronounced brow

ridge• Square chin• Women• More delicate

features/less prominent

• Rounded frontal bone• Smooth brow ridge• Rounded chin

MALE VS FEMALE

AGE• Sutures used to determine

age• Suture: the place where two

major bones join together• Bones not fused at birth• different bones fuse at

different times• Skull becomes smoother

over time• Younger person has more

prominent sutures than older person

RACE• Anthropologists take measurements,

compare them to database called Fordisc• Thickness, structure of bones• Also, breadth of nasal aperture, nasal root

height, head shape, suture appearance, distance between occipitals, prominence of zygomatics, jaw thickness, brow ridge size, slope of frontal bone, etc.

CAUSE OF DEATH• Antemortem: before death• Will show signs of healing• Perimortem: around the time of death• Used to determine cause of death• Different forces cause different injuries• Postmortem: after death• Caused by weather or scavengers

Blunt force traumaGunshot wound

EXAMINING THE SKULL