Forensics: Human Remains

Epiphyses

growth plates found at the ends of the long bones. they form in adolescence and fuse to the bone during early adulthood.

How many people have an extra rib?

1/20

How many bones does a human have?

206

Negroid

descriptor for people of African, Aborigine, and Melanesian descent.

Mongoloid

descriptor for people of Asian, Native American, Polynesian descent.

Caucasoid

descriptor for people of European, Middle Eastern, and Indian descent.

Flat bones

flat and enclose soft organs; they include most bones in the skull, scapula, sternum, hip bone and ribs

Long bones

longer than they are wide; they include bones in the arms, legs, hands, and feet

Stage 3

partial union; the epiphyses are attached, but a line is visible

Stage 4

complete union; the epiphyses are attached and a line is not visible

Ossification sites

where growth takes place

Mongoloid Features

• rounded nasal aperture • parabolic palate • rounded orbits • wide zygomatic arches • pointed mandibles

Negroid Features

• wide nasal aperture • rectangular palate • Square orbits • more pronounced zygomatic arches

How are animal and human bones different?

•The osteons in an animal's bones are arranged in a regular pattern •the osteons in a human's bones are arranged in a chaotic pattern

Things we can determine from bones:

•an age range •sex •race •approximate height •cause of death, disease, anomaly

Caucasoid Features

•long, narrow nasal aperture •triangular palate •oval orbits • narrow zygomatic arches • narrow mandibles

Function of bones

•provide structure and rigidity •protect soft tissue and organs •serve as an attachment for muscles •produce blood cells •serve as a storage area for minerals •can detoxify the body by removing heavy metals and other foreign elements from the blood

Odontology in forensics

•study of teeth; •can be compared to dental records, there could be unique features (fillings, spacing, number, etc.) • hardest substances in the body

symphyseal surface of pubis changes

•young: pattern of rows/furrows •middle-aged: smooth with an oval surface •old: breakdown of bone

Fingers Male and Female differences*

*not very accurate Male: index finger shorter than 3rd finger Female: index finger longer than 3rd finger

facial reconstruction

After determining sex, age, and, race facial features can be built upon a skull to assist identification. Markers used to make tissue depths, clay is used to build around these, and facial features are molded

Short bones

Approximately as long as they are wide; they are found in the wrist and ankle

Lambodial Suture location

Back of skull

Basillar suture

Closes in females as young as 14 and in males as young as 16. If it's open the individual is generally considered to be 18 or younger

Ligament

Connects bone to bone

Tendon

Connects muscle to bone

Long bones used to estimate height

Femur, tibia, humerus, radius

coronal suture location

Front of skull

Irregular bones

Irregularly shaped; they include the vertebrae and some of the bones in the skull

Sagittal Suture Completely Closed at these ages

Male: 26 or older Female: 29 or older

Sagittal Suture Completely Open at these ages

Male: less than 32 Female: less than 35

Subpubic angle difference in males and females

Male: more acute angle Female: more obtuse angle

Pelvic Inlet differences in male and female

Male: narrow, heart-shaped Female: open, circular

Pubic body differences in males and females

Male: narrower, deeper Female: wider, shallower

Complete closure of all 3 major sutures at these ages

Male: over 35 Female: over 50

Best bone to look at epiphyses

Medial clavicle

Stage 1

No epiphyses (the growth plate hasn't formed yet)

Stage 2

Non-Union; the epiphyses and bone are separate

Osteons

Structures in bones that carry the blood supply

Osteology

The study of bones

What's the purpose of the skull's sutures?

To allow for growth of the skull

Sagittal suture location

Top of skull divides right from left

The ribcage and shoulder of a male are _____ and _____ than a female's

Wider and larger

Ventral arc

a bony ridge that is formed on the ventral (lower) side of the female os pubis.

The body farm

a research facility at the University of Tennessee where human decomposition can be studied in a variety of settings. Director: Bill Bass

Forensic Anthropology

a type of applied anthropology that specializes in the changes and variations in the human skeleton for the purpose of legal inquiry

os pubis/pubic symphysis

area on the anterior side of the pelvis where the hip bones come together

Diaphysis

shaft of a long bone

Cause of death from a skeleton

stab wounds, bullet holes, and blows to the head may leave a unique signature on the skeleton