Appendicular skeleton includes bones of limbs (forelimbs and hindlimbs) and two girdles; pectoral girdle in the shoulder region and the pelvic girdle present in the pelvis region. Let us discuss the four components of appendicular skeleton in detail: Pectoral girdle Pectoral girdle or shoulder girdle connects the bones of upper limbs with the axial skeleton. […]
History of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology
Forensic anthropology is the science that applies the principles of physical anthropology like craniometry, osteometry, odontology, osteomorphics etc. to aid in legal investigation pertaining to identification, age and sex estimation, estimation of time since death etc. The history of forensic anthropology dates back to the time when physical anthropology evolved. Study of human evolution, variations […]
Scope of Forensic Anthropology: Racial classification
Human skeletal remains can be used to identify the race to which the individual belongs by careful examination of certain discriminating features. The bones of human body, particularly cranial and facial bones, have underwent various changes over the period of time due to different modes of living, nutrition, environment, lifestyle. On the bases of these […]
Scope of Forensic Anthropology: Bones and their Origin
1-Is it a bone? The first and foremost thing that a forensic anthropologist needs to confirm is whether the given substance is a bone. It has been found in numerous cases that bones have often been confused with ivory, stones or celluloid material. To jump into further investigation a forensic anthropologist should first carry out […]
Estimation of Gender from Human Skeletal remains
Estimation of gender from skeletal remains is another major aspect that a forensic anthropologist deals with. Determining gender precisely using anthropological evidences like skeletal remains delimits the area of investigation and guides the investigator on the right track as to whether the cadaver belongs to a male or female human. Since human beings exhibit sexual […]
Age Estimation of Human skeleton
Forensic identification from skeletal remains incorporates various parameters that conclude to identification in terms of gender, age, stature etc. Estimating the age from bone samples recovered from crime scene is a tedious task to perform. The age of a person from his skeletal remains cannot be determined absolutely, though the forensic anthropologists can estimate with […]