Chapter 14 – Human Remains

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Chapter 14 – Human Remains

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Chapter 14 – Human Remains. Learning Objectives. Learn how anthropologists use bones to determine whether remains are human; to determine the age, sex, and race of an individual; to estimate height; and to determine when death could have occurred. Bones. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Chapter 14 – Human Remains

Chapter 14 Human Remains

Chapter 14 Human Remains

Learning ObjectivesLearn how anthropologists use bones to determine whether remains are human; to determine the age, sex, and race of an individual; to estimate height; and to determine when death could have occurred.BonesHow do forensic scientists go about identifying an unknown individual, and what information can yield information about that persons fate?Forensic anthropologyA type of physical anthropology that specializes in the human skeletal system.Identifies victims and sometimes cause of death.Examine bodies that have decomposed, been badly burned or mummified.Conclusions reached are used in a court of lawPossible inferencesAre remains human?One individual or several?When did death occurGender, age, and race.Cause of death-homicide, suicide, accident, or natural causeHeight, body weight, and physique.Can a facial reconstruction be performed?

Human SkeletonProvides structure and rigidity.Protects soft tissue and internal organs.Protects the brain.Provides attachment site for muscles, tendons, and ligaments.Produces red blood cells.Serves as storage for minerals.Human skeletonLong bones are longer than wide arms, legs, feet.Short bones are as long as wide wrist and ankle.Flat bones are flat and enclose soft organs skull, scapula, sternum, hip, ribs.Irregular bones are irregularly shaped vertebrae and some bones of skull.7Human Skeletal Systemhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPrxQkjjExI

Estimating heightForensic scientists can estimate height by examining one or more of the long bones femur, tibia, humerus, radius.Separate formulas for male and female height.

Estimating heightMale Height, H

Female Height, H

H = femur 2.23 + 69.08H = tibia 2.39 + 81.68H = humerus 2.97 + 73.57H = radius 3.65 + 80.40

H = femur 2.21 + 61.41H = tibia 2.53 + 72.57H = humerus 3.14 + 64.97H = radius 3.87 + 73.50

Do not copy, find the resource page 416Sex determinationDetermining sex using bones os pubis, sacrum, and ilium, shape of the skull, the shape of the mandible, and the size of the occipital protuberance.Three areas that can be examined on the pelvic region are;the width of the pubic archthe width of the pubic bodythe presence of a well-defined ventral arc in females.

A= pubic body, B= ventral arc, c= pubic arch

Green arrows show pubic archDetermining ageDifferent indicators can be used, but investigator use multiple sites on the skeleton and give age ranges.Sites used;Erupting teethEpiphyses growth platesClosure of the cranial sutures 25-30 years old.

Epiphyses bone developmentEstimating age based on cranial structuresThe bones of the skull join along serrated joints called sutures.The sagital suture is found on top of the skull and separates left from right side.The coronal suture runs from the temporal area on one side over the top of the skull to the other side.In males, the sagital suture is closed around 26-32 ya, and females 29-35 ya.

Race determination