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