To a forensic anthropologist, the study of human bones is a portal to the scientific veracity that allows the justice system to uncover circumstances and facts surrounding a criminal act. In most cases it focuses on the human skeleton. Given the rampancy of criminal activities in contemporary society, such technology and expertise prove to be useful in solving the world’s most gruesome murder cases. Bone identification is critical for both humane and legal reasons, especially for unidentified persons. Forensic anthropologists work with bodies in various conditions. Their scope of duty covers charred remains, mummies, decomposed bodies, bone piles, and the victims of natural catastrophes or aircraft crashes. Forensic anthropologists are experts in osteology and thus focus on skeletal traits like dental characteristics, skull features, as well as sub-cranial bone shapes and sizes. These characteristics have been shown to vary from one person to another and from a population to another.
Forensic anthropologists attempt to provide a description of the victim’s gender, race, height, and age at death. Their work also entails the identification of the cause of death, time since death, and individualistic characteristics in the skeleton. In sex determination, the pelvis is the most accurate determinant in the analysis of skeletal remains. Essentially, the female pelvis is fashioned to confer adequate space for the birth canal. The skull has also been used to determine the sex of victims. With progression form adolescence to adulthood, the female skull reportedly retains most of the pre-pubertal traits. Male skulls on the other hand exhibit marked changes. These differences form the basis of sex differentiation.
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The approximate age of an individual may be determined in various ways. The size and development of the skull is primarily used to determine age. Soft spots and frontals are to approximate the age of a fetus. As an individual ages, the skull develops further and the frontals reduce in size and become sutures. With time, sutures are filled and become harder. Age at death can also be determined by the severity of joint inflammation or arthritis. The determination of comparative age is determined by the observation of long bones using x-ray. In children, the area of bone growth appears as clear space running almost parallel with the bone. In adults, the fusion of growth plate appears as white lines in place of the clear space in the X-ray of children.
The race of skeletal remains can be determined using various measurements including the observation of the post-cranial skeleton and the skull. Often, racial attribution is ascribed to findings from the analysis of the facial region. Non-metric facial features include features like the configuration of the nasal region, the overall shape of the skull, outline of the orbits, extent of prognathism or jaw protrusion, certain dental features, and the shape of the mandible. An individual’s stature may also be determined from the study of skeletal remains. One’s approximate height can thus be determined by measuring the bones. The com,monest way to approximate height is by using the femur. In the determination of height, however, sex is also a factor. The humerus is also commonly used in the estimation of height.
Overall, forensic anthropology helps the justice system in uncovering facts which surround criminal acts, and it is mostly focused on the skeleton of human beings. The people working in this field make an attempt at providing the description of the race, gender, height and age of a victim at the time of death. There are specific traits used to differentiate males from females. Age differences are determined using size and development of the skull among others. The race may also be determined using different prescribed measures.
