Forensic Anthropology 2. Distinguishing Age Age can be determined by examining particular bones and...
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Transcript of Forensic Anthropology 2. Distinguishing Age Age can be determined by examining particular bones and...
Forensic Anthropology 2
Distinguishing Age
• Age can be determined by examining particular bones and by looking for the presence or absence of cartilage– Bones do not reach maturity at the same time
Suture Marks
• Suture marks are zigzag marks found on the skull where bones meet
• In immature skulls, areas of softer tissue (soft spot of a baby’s head), gradually become ossified (hardens)
• These marks start to disappear as the bones mature, giving the skull a smoother look
Suture Marks
• There are 3 suture marks: Coronal, Lamboidal, and Squamosal
• We will be looking at 2:– Coronal Suture closes
at the age of 50– Lamboidal suture
begins closing at 21, accelerates at 26, and is closed at 30
Cartilaginous Lines
• As we get older cartilage is slowly replaced with hard compact bones, which causes a cartilaginous line, called a epiphysis
• When cartilage is fully replace, the line is no longer visible
• The completion of growth for each bone varies• Thus, the presence or absence of cartilaginous
lines can be used to determine age
Long Bones **
• When the head of a long bone (femur or humerus) has totally fused to its shaft, age can be determined. Fusing occurs at different ages for different bones.
Distinguishing Height
• Using the measurement of one of the long bones (femur or humerus) approximate height of an individual can be determined
• The formula for determining height difference between male and female and different races (thus if race and sex are known, calculations will be more accurate.
Distinguishing height
– Example: an American Caucasian male bone is found. It is a 49 cm femur. Determine the height
• Height (cm) = 2.32 (49cm) + 65.53• = 113.68 + 65.53 • = 179.21 cm• = 179.21 cm * .39 in/1cm• = 69.89 in = 5 ft 8 in
Distinguishing Race
• Determining race from skeletal remains have become more difficult due to the combing of physical traits between different races
• In forensic science, there are only 3 races– Caucasoid– Negroid– Mongoloid
• The best indicators are the skull and femur
• The Skull (differences between races)– Shape of the eye sockets– Absence or presence of a nasal spine– Measurements of the nasal index– Prognathism (projection of the upper jaw
beyond the lower jaw)– Width of face– Angulation of the jaw and face