Skeletal Identification by Race, Gender & Age

Identifying the Race of a Skull· Forensic Anthropologists identify unidentified skeletal remains by studying and classifying different parts of the skeletal remains.· To make the process simpler, they separate all skulls into three racial categories: Mongoloid, Negroid, and Caucasoid.· Race is determined only by the skull if the skeleton is not of mixed nationalities.· Gonial inversion, mid-facial characteristics, and dental arcade are among the factors which determine the race of the skull.

Picture: http://www.pnl.gov/er_news/12_96/skull.gif

The Mongoloid Skull

· Narrow, short low-bridged nasal bones- Diamond-shaped nose holes- Variable profile:

· Vertical chin· Squared zygomatic bones

- Medium nasal slits- Medium cheek bones- Least mandible projection

Picture: www.skullsunlimited.com/humanskullsrp.htm

The Negroid Skull

· Characteristics:- Broad, flat, short nasal bridge- Square nose holes- Prognathic profile:

· Vertical chin· Curved zygomatic bones

- Wider inter-orbital area- Gutted nasal borders- Largest nasal slits- Prognarthic jawsPicture: www.skullsunlimited.com/humanskullsrp.htm

The Caucasoid Skull

· - Narrow, long high-bridged nasal bones- Triangular nose holes- Straight profile:

· Prominent chin· Curved zygomatic bones

- Prominent nasal spine:- Steeped nasals- Smallest nasal slits- Smallest cheek bones

Picture: www.skullsunlimited.com/humanskullsrp.htm

Skull and Teeth Gender Determinations

Skull· Male skulls are larger than female skulls· The male has a higher forehead than a female, and a more sloping frontal area.· Females have sharper superior orbital borders.· Males have a more pronounced brow ridge.· Supraorbital ridges are extreme in males and slight in females. · Square chins indicate male.· Round chins indicate female.

Teeth· Males have much larger teeth.· Males have a larger mandible.

Picture: http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sex/bonesksex.html

Picture: www.sav-ondrugs.com/shop/templates/surgeries/graphics/Chinaugmentation_1.jpg

Picture: www.carolina.com/calendar_activities/ 2001/0108_pelvis.asp

Female Pelvic Girdles have:

· A greater pelvis width

· A greater pelvis opening

· Smaller sacrum length

· Smaller sacrum width

The lower part of the pelvis is angular in shape for males, and circular for females.

Pelvic Girdle Gender Determinations

Picture: www.carolina.com/calendar_activities/ 2001/0108_pelvis.asp

Femur Gender Determinations

Pictures: http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sex/bonesksex.html

· Attachment of the femur to the pelvic girdle

- Weight bearing surfaces are larger in males than in females.

- Greater distance from femur to femur in males than in females.

Pictures: http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/sex/bonesksex.html

Age Determinations

Skull

· The cranium of a baby is not solid, but divided into four pieces.

· Studying the calvarium, which is much larger in relation to the face between ages 0-5, can determine age.

- The calvarium is much larger in relation to the face and mandible between ages 0-5.- The brain sutures are very far apart.

· Studying a skull that is 18-23 years of age demonstrates:

- A relatively larger skull size.- Closer (almost meeting) brain sutures.

Picture: http://headlines.org.uk/images/SkullWeb.jpg

Picture: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/bone5-60cran.jpg

Spinal Column· Space between the cartilage and bones of a spinal column will lessen as a child ages.

Pelvic Girdle· The pelvic girdle will not completely fuse the cartilage and bone during childhood.· With increasing age, the two lowermost pelvic bones kit together where they meet.

Long Bones· Epiphyseal rings begin to appear around the age of puberty.· Cartilageneres plast separating epiphysist diaphysis remains in place for first 20 years of life.

Pictures: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/

Picture: http://www.lowbackpain.com/images/spinal.gif

Age Determination

Pictures: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/

Newborn· No teeth· two sets of buds in jaw

- Primary teeth- Permanent teeth

Age 1-3· 20 Primary teeth by age three

Age 6-10· Larger and stronger jaw· Greater amount of muscle attached to jaw· Buds for permanent teeth· All permanent teeth are in by age 10

Young Adult· Larger and stronger jaw· Jaw shows complete set of permanent teeth (32)· Wisdom teeth· Molar development is apparent at age 18-21

Picture: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/dent18.html

Age Determination--Jaws & Teeth

Picture: http://img.intelihealth.com/i/D/DNTPrimaryPermanent.jpg

Picture: medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/forensics/age/decid.html