Race and Trauma FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY Anthropological Examination n

Race and Trauma FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Anthropological Examination n n Excavated remains cleaned in forensic lab Arranged in correct anatomical order

Race determination - Skull Characteristic 1 – Nasal Aperature 2 – Malars 3 – Orbits 4 – Prognathism 5 – Mandible 6 – Incisors n Race determinations ¨ Mongoloid n n Asian Native American Indian ¨ Caucasoid n n White Hispanic ¨ Negroid n African American

Mongoloid 1 Rounded 2 Wide/Project 3 Squared 4 Moderate 5 Robust 6 Shovel-shaped

Caucasoid 1 Narrow/Elongated 2 Recede 3 Sloped/Rhomboid 4 Reduced 5 Medium 6 Blade-shaped

Negroid 1 Flared 2 Recede/Reduced 3 Rounded 4 Extreme 5 Gracile 6 Blade-shaped

Age – Skull development n 29 bones in the skull n Initial fusion few weeks postnatal n Continues through age 21 – 35 yrs n Mathematical formulas for using sutures to determine age

Height determination – Long bones Rule of thumb – “Height roughly equals 5 times the length of the humerus. ” n Since it is only an estimate, always have height be a range n Formulas n 2. 38 (femur length cm)+61. 41 = Stature +/- 3. 27

Determine when Trauma took place n Antemortem – before death n Perimortem – around the time of death n Postmortem – after death occurred

Perimortem trauma n Lesions have no sign of healing

Postmortem trauma n Intentional dismemberment ¨ Tool marks left on bone n Unintentional dismemberment ¨ Animal tooth marks left on bone