BIO223: Human Anatomy Forensic Analysis of the Skeleton UNC-Asheville, F2007
DEMOGRAPHY
You don’t need to memorize this for anatomy.
This is provided so can get an idea of the sort of
information that can be gleaned from the skeleton.
SEX
Sex of children and juveniles is very difficult to assess prior to
puberty – bones of males become larger and thicker than females,
primarily due to testosterone surge at puberty. Female pelvis
• Pelvis Male pelvis
by far the best indicator of sex (female pelvis is shorter,
wider to accommodate birth)
• Skull male
less reliable – areas for muscle attachment are generally
larger & rougher in males than females; males have larger
brows, females more rounded forehead
• Other Postcranial Material
Least reliable – based on size, relative indications of
muscularity
AGE
Accuracy of age determination decreases as age increases
• Dental eruption
Teeth usually erupt in uniform sequence, fairly regular timing. Good accuracy up female
to ~12 yrs (wisdom teeth variable, often absent)
• Epiphyseal closure
Growth plates fuse as bones quit growing in length
Timing good, but useful only up to early 20s (growth stops)
• Pubic Symphysis / Auricular surface
Fairly regular changes in surfaces on pelvic bones enable decent assessment of
ages in adults
• Dental wear
Good relative measure of age, provided similar diets
Most useful within the same population/time
• Suture closure
Low reliability, possibly useful in post-reproductive humans
BODY FORM
• Stature (height) estimated from whole bones (best) or fragments
• Mass weakly correlated with dimensions of long bones
• Bone thickness, ruggedness provide additional indicators of muscle mass
• No skeletal indicators of obesity Age changes in pubic symphysis
RACE / Ethnicity
• General shape differences can usually distinguish among broad
geographic categories (Asian, European, African, Amerindian) femur femur
• Slightly influences stature estimates
• Cultural Practices provide better assessments of ethnicity / group
affinity (e.g. Burial practices, cultural modification, artifacts)
Growth
Plates
tibia tibia
subadult adult
BIO223: Human Anatomy Forensic Analysis of the Skeleton UNC-Asheville, F2007
PALEOPATHOLOGY
CONGENTIAL DEFECTS Epiphysis
Genetic (inborn) abnormalities, for example: Growth Plate
• Achondroplasia (dwarfism)
• Osteopetrosis (marble bone disease) Harris
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone) Lines
INFECTIONS
Specific Diseases
tibia fibula
• Osteomyelitis (inflammation of marrow) Photograph, lower jaw
usu. due to bacteria or fungi; mostly affects
long bones; begins within marrow or Enamel Hypoplasias
introduced from outside via trauma
• Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)
affects vertebrae & limbs, necrosis (death) of
bone, cartilage and other soft tissue femur
femur X-ray
• Syphilis (Treponema pallidum); congenital
or spread by sexual contact; skull appears
“worm-eaten” – also tibia (saber shin) Intervertebral
Disk Spinal cord
Non-specific Indicators of Infection
Osteomyelitis
• Enamel Hypoplasia (teeth)
• Harris Lines (long bones)
Both indicate disruption of normal growth Vertebral
during development, usu. due to disease Body
(can’t tell which kind) – provide general
measure of “health” in skeletons Bone destruction
resulting from
TOXINS tuberculosis
poisons that affect soft tissues (e.g. lead) may fibula
fibula
accumulate in bone and be detected by trace- tibia
tibia
element analysis X-ray
TRAUMA
cadaver
Fractures, can determine type of fracture,
relative age, degree of healing, estimate
probable cause of trauma
Syphilis
Syphilis
DIET / METABOLIC disorders
• Rickets (Vit-D deficiency)
• Osteoporosis (low done density)
• Acute Anemia (low iron, RBCs)
ENDOCRINE DISORDERS
Result from hormone imbalance Rickets
Rickets
• Acromegaly (gigantism) (note bowed femur)
(note bowed femur)
• Parathyroid diseases
NEOPLASMS
X-ray
Bone tumors/cancers (malignant or benign)
Can affect bone, cartilage, or periosteum Skull, superior view
BIOMECHANICS (plasticity)
Bone changes in response to normal use Healed
Overuse, specific tasks may produce changes Fractures
in bone architecture
distal humerus
BIO223: Human Anatomy Forensic Analysis of the Skeleton UNC-Asheville, F2007
Epiphyseal fusion
(typical age ranges for closure, in years)