Forensic Anthropology Research Paper

Forensic Anthropology
A body washes up on the shore. A forensic anthropologist can be called to the seen to help identify the remains. A forensic anthropologist can tell if the remains of the bones are human or animal. After identifying them as human they then can identify the sex, gender, ethnicity, and so on. Then the forensic anthropologist assists the law enforcement in the investigation. Forensic anthropologists are very important and helpful in helping the law enforcement solve their cases. Some people don’t even know what forensic anthropologists are or what they do. The first step is to determine sex. This is important to start with for forensic anthropologists. Sex is determined by genes, and expressed through …show more content…
This can be told by looking at the bones very carefully.” (unknown, "anthropology (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology)", 2010) The bone growth and teeth from the gums in immature individuals. When we are born all our bones are mostly made of soft cartilage that turns into hard bone as we grow. “There are over 300 centers of bone growth in infants which eventually fuse to form the 206 bones in the adult body.” (unknown, "anthropology (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology)", 2010) Anthropologists can use the pattern to estimate age in children and young adults. “Similarly, teeth develop and erupt in a specific sequence at specific times during childhood and this timing can also be used to provide an accurate estimate of age in juveniles.” (unknown, "anthropology (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology)", …show more content…
Genetic or nutritional disorders, diseases and infections, or healed fractures all alter the bone in unique ways that can be used to distinguish individual’s characteristics of their skeleton. “For example, a genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta ("brittle bone disease") leads to repeated bone fractures. These fractures will appear on the skeleton in many locations and in varying stages of healing. Because the condition requires ongoing medical attention, an affected individual will likely have extensive antemortem medical records that could aid in their identification.” (unknown, "anthropology (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology)", 2010) Dietary anemia which is an iron deficiency can cause swollen marrow space in bones and cause to soften and eventually bend under an individual's own weight. “Neoplastic diseases such as cancers can affect the skeleton in two ways. Cancer in the soft tissue beside a bone can lead to pressure, causing the tissues to react and leaving visible lesions or holes in the bones. Other types of cancer cause the bone itself to grow tumours. Whether they are benign or malignant, bone tumours can cause significant skeletal changes that be identified long after the soft tissue has decomposed.Infectious diseases can also provide information about an individual's life history. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that can cause lesions on the bone, especially the spine,

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