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Bonebasicsweb

Physical anthropologists analyze skeletal remains to determine a victim's identity and life history by examining sex, age, stature, race, and evidence of trauma. Sex is determined by examining the skull, pelvis, humerus and femur for characteristic male and female features. Age and height are estimated by analyzing bone and tooth development. Race is assessed by skull characteristics. DNA can be extracted from bones to identify people. Bone fractures and damage provide clues about a person's life and cause of death. Forensic tools like CT scans, X-rays, and microscopes are used to examine skeletons for these details.

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137 views

Bonebasicsweb

Physical anthropologists analyze skeletal remains to determine a victim's identity and life history by examining sex, age, stature, race, and evidence of trauma. Sex is determined by examining the skull, pelvis, humerus and femur for characteristic male and female features. Age and height are estimated by analyzing bone and tooth development. Race is assessed by skull characteristics. DNA can be extracted from bones to identify people. Bone fractures and damage provide clues about a person's life and cause of death. Forensic tools like CT scans, X-rays, and microscopes are used to examine skeletons for these details.

Uploaded by

api-300935608
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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You are on page 1/ 8

Let the bones tell the story!

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Punuk.Alaska.skulls.jpg
Presentation developed by T. Trimpe 2010 http://sciencespot.net

What role do anthropologists play in solving crimes?


Watch the video and then answer the questions.
1. What does a physical anthropologist investigate?

2. What four things do we want to know about a skeleton?

3. What bones are most useful for developing a profile of a person? Explain how
they are used.

FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS analyze


skeletal remains to determine the identity of a
victim as well as his/her life history, cause of
death, or other clues about a crime.
Main Characteristics:

Sex - Determined by examining the skull,


pelvis, humerus, and femur

Which skull would belong to a female?

Age and stature (height/build) Determined


by analyzing the development of the teeth, bone
growth, cranial suture lines, and the length of
specific bones, such as the femur.
Race Determined by analyzing the skull for
characteristics that are common among people
of different races.
Career Connection
What does a forensic
anthropologist do?

Which pelvis would belong to a female?


Source: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/excavation.html
Images: http://www.wadsworth.com/anthropology_d/special_features/forensics/forensics_index/index.html

What else can we learn from bones?


DNA samples can be collected from bone, teeth, and hair to
provide clues to a persons identity.
Scientists may also be able to gain clues as to a persons past,
recent injuries, or the cause of death based on bone fractures
and other signs of trauma.
Damage from a hammer

Healed Fractures

Gunshot Wounds
Images: http://www.legacyhealth.org/images/Housecalls/claviclefx.jpg, http://www.sciencephoto.com/images/download_lo_res.html?id=773301768,
http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/calvert_femur.html, http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/trauma.html

Forensic Tools & Techniques


Watch the video and then answer the questions.
1. What techniques or tools did the scientists use to find the body?

2. What is disturbed soil? What might it indicate?

3. How did they narrow down the areas to investigate?

4. Did they find a body?

Reading the Remains


Watch the video and then answer the questions.
1. What information do they provide for law enforcement agencies?

2. How many skeletons do they have in their collection?

3. What do they learn about a skeleton from each tool?


CT Scan
X- ray
Mass spectrometer

Scanning electron microscope


DNA Analysis

Directions:
Identify the bones in the
skeleton. One label will
be used twice!

Cranium
Cervical Vertebrae
Sternum
Humerus
Ulna

Clavicle
Scapula
Ribs
Lumbar Vertebrae

Ilium

Radius
Carpals

Ishium

Metacarpals
Phalanges

Femur

Sacrum
Patella
Tibia
Fibula

The Bone Dance

Tarsals
Metatarsals
Phalanges

Quick Quiz Give the common name for each bone.

I should have known it was going to be one of those


days, when I had stepped out of bed and stubbed
my (1) PHLANGE on the night stand. While hopping
up and down on one (2) METATARSAL and grasping
the other, I slipped and fell onto my right shoulder
breaking my (3) CLAVICLE. As I crawled on my
(4) METACARPALS and (5) PATELLAS to my bed, I felt
my (6) CRANIUM begin to ache. I found my phone
and let my (7) PHLANGES do the walking as I called
my friend to come help me out. My friend answered
the phone with a loud scream; my (8) MANDIBLE
dropped, I asked what had happened, and he replied
that he had been startled by the ringing phone, fell
out of bed landed on his (9) COCCYX. Following that
while racing to the phone he hit his (10) TIBIA on a
stool. I should have known it was going to be one of
those days.

1. TOES
2. FOOT
3. COLLAR BONE
4. HANDS
5. KNEES
6. SKULL or HEAD
7. FINGERS
8. LOWER JAW
9. TAIL BONE
10. SHIN

Source: http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~mtpbs/Education/NTTILessonPlans2/LegBoneConnectedToThe/NTTILegBoneConnectedToThe.pdf

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