Identifying Skeletal Remains

Size and Stature

• Height can be estimated from the lengths of certain long bones– Humerus– Femur

• General build can be characterized by the development of muscle attachments

Age and Sex•Several features can be used to distinguish

males from females– Pelvis – difference in shape from the need

of females to accommodate childbirth– Femur – different structure based upon

differences in the pelvis– Skull

•The state of fusion of some bone epiphyses and sutures can be used to determine age

– The ends of long bones and segments of vertebra do not fuse until early adulthood in order to accommodate growth

– Sutures between cranial bones also fuse through time

Determining Sex from the Pelvis

A.Females generally have a wider sciatic notch

Determining Sex from the Femur

Determining Sex from the Skull

Male skulls - more robust, prominent muscle attachments, prominent brow ridges, and a square chin.

Female skulls - more graceful, less prominent muscle attachments, less prominent brow ridges, and a rounder chin

Determining Age• This child is thought to be

somewhere between the ages of 3 and 5 years old based on the stage of tooth eruptiontooth eruption and calcification

• The calvariumcalvarium (top of skull) is much larger in relation to the face and lower jaw because the brain develops quite rapidly relative to dentition

• The lower jaw and upper jaw enlarge as permanent molars appear. (6 years old)

5-years 60+ years

5 years 60+ years

Epiphyseal Fusion

Fusion of epiphyses in long bones begins around age 17 and ends around

age 25

                                                                           

Determining “Race”• Different human populations have evolved identifiable

cranial characteristics– Four general human cranial phenotypes defined

•Australoid•Caucasoid•Mongoloid•Negroid

– These represent definably distinct combinations of morphological traits, but they are along a continuum of variability within the entire human population

• Morphological traits used to distinguish phenotypes– Gonial Inversion– Midfacial Characteristics– Prognathism– Dental Arcade

Determining Race

Gonial Inversion• Negroids exhibit

moderate to pronounced inversion in the area midway up the rear edge of the lower jaw

• Caucasoids and mongoloids show little or no inversion

• This feature is more prominant in malesmales than in femalesfemales

Negroid Midfacial Characteristics

RectangularRectangular eye orbitorbit, widewide interorbital interorbital area, and guttered nasal borderguttered nasal border

Caucasoid Midfacial Characteristics

Sloped eye orbit, narrow interorbital area, steepledsteepled nasalsnasals, and prominent nasal spineprominent nasal spine

Mongoloid Midfacial Characteristics

RoundRound eye orbitorbit, tented nasalstented nasals, and projecting projecting cheekbonescheekbones

Other Unique Mongoloid Characteristics

Shoveled incisorsShoveled incisors All mongoloid crania have shoveled incisors.