Go to the crime scene to assist in the finding and collection of human remains.

Cleans up the bones for analysis.

Analysing skeletal remains to establish a profile of the victim.

Works with the forensic odontologist to match dental record.

Helps establish pathways of bullet or number of wounds, if needed.

Testifies in court over relative evidence.

The forensic anthropologist will start by first determining whether the bones found are human or animal. It is often the case that animal bones found resemble the bones of a human, so this must be looked at first. They can them determine when the individual died, and just who they were before death. The next question is how they died, and what happened to them prior to death.

Time Since Death

It can be quite difficult for a forensic anthropologist to determine the time interval since death. Usually the estimation is based on the amount and condition of soft tissues, such as skin and muscle, ligaments present, the preservation of bones, odour, any carnivore and insect activity and the extent of associated plant root growth. However much more should be considered, such as temperature at the time of death, any penetrating wounds, soil acidity, humidity, and water retention. As more passes since death, it become more difficult to estimate the time interval since death.

Age

Pinpointing the age of a person through their skeleton can be quite difficult. When dealing with the remains of a child, it is usually very difficult to determine age, because they have not reached sexual maturity. The teeth of children are easily distinguishable from adults, as usually their size will be much smaller. It is also easier to compare children’s teeth to stored records, therefore giving an estimated age based on the development of the teeth. A child’s skull will have more separation in the bone plates than in the skull of an adult, so the smoother the skull is the older the individual is. For children under the age of thirteen a common method of age determination is the examination of the wrist development. During the teenage years bones become larger and thicker, fusing together in a process called “ossification”. Ossification is quite possibly the best way to reveal the age of a child’s or younger teenager’s skeleton. At the end of the teenage years the radius and the lower bone plate fuse together, and later on the upper plate bone does the same. Studying this can also help determine an age of a younger skeleton. It is easier to determine of age of an adult because of the bone structure brought on by puberty. The length and size of the bones can be used to determine the age quite easily. Usually examination of the pubic bone, sacroiliac joint, amount if dental wear, arthritic changes in the spine, cranium and microscopic studies of the bones and teeth, can all help estimate age. The bones of elderly individuals may show signs of arthritis, and they may also have tooth decay or teeth missing.

Race

When it comes to determining the race of a body, this can be difficult to answer. There are some anatomical details that differ in different races. Caucasoids (white individuals) have narrower faces and high noses with prominent chins. Black individuals have wider nasal openings and subnasal grooves. Caucasian nose holes are triangular, Negroid's square, and Mongoloid's diamond-shaped. Asians and American Indians have forward-projecting cheekbones and specialized dental features.

Stature

It is possible to determine the stature of an individual by measuring complete long bones, preferable the tibia or femur. If the bones are incomplete less confidence can be placed in them, so it is best that the bones measured are of full length. The measurement of the bone can be used in a formula based on sex and race to produce an estimate for stature. It is possible to estimate a person’s weight by examining the wear on the bones at certain points. We can determine the height of a person through their skeleton too. By adding around 4 inches to the bone length to make up for missing muscles and tissues, we can accurately estimate how tall the individual was.

Sex

When trying to determine the sex of skeletal remains we can look at the bones. First we examine the skull. When comparing the skulls of a man and a woman, we can see that the male skull is often more stout, with extreme supraorbital ridges, a square chin and more pronounced muscles attachments and eye sockets. The female skull features are much more rounded than the male’s. Overall the skull has three points that we can look at to decide on a sex. These are the ridges above the eyes, the bone just below the ear, and the bone at the lower back of the skull. The pelvis can easily help distinguish whether remains are male or female. A female will have much wider, child-bearing hips. The auricular surfaces in a female often have a distinct elevation, whereas in males this are is usually flat. It may be possible to determine sex by examining the teeth, as size and patterns differ between genders. There are several other bones that carry small differences between men and women, but these are only looked at if the skull and hip bones are not useable.

Evidence Of Trauma

Once the skeletal remains have been cleaned of any dirt and debris, it is possible to search for any physical trauma. Even if there are no organs or other soft tissues left, the bones may hold some clue as to how the individual died. The likes of stab wounds will sometimes leave markings and scrapes on the bones, should the penetrating object come into contact with any bones. If a victim suffers from a strong blow, this will often leave its marking on the bones. Any broken bones will also be seen post-mortem.

Facial Reconstruction

When it comes to reconstructing facial appearances, the forensic anthropologist has two options. They can work with a forensic artist to produce a composite drawing based on any information known. Alternatively the forensic anthropologist could call in an expert in three-dimensional facial reconstruction. To read more on facial reconstruction, see the forensic art page.

Other Identity Facts

Another form of identifying human remains is to look at any personal effects on or near the remains. This may include clothes, jewellery, hair and anything else they may have had on their person at time of death. It is also possible to guess what occupation the individual had. For example, playing instruments may affect the teeth and bones around the mouth, and a carpenter’s or roofer’s teeth may be chipped in front from where they hold nails. If there is some muscle on the remains, it is possible to determine whether the person was left-handed or right-handed. There will usually be more muscle attachment on the bones of the dominant side. Of course this method may not help if one is ambidextrous.

However anthropological evidence is not usually independently replied upon in the court of law.