Forensic Anthropology Research Paper

It has solved unsolvable crimes and found unknown secrets of the past. It is easy to find the effects and influence that it has had on the world. Its reach can be seen all across the globe in many different ways. There are even associations and organizations made which are focused on it and gathering the scholars of this profession together. So, what exactly is it? “It” is forensic anthropology, commonly known as forensic anthropology! But, why is it so important in crime solving and historical discoveries? How has physical anthropology solved these crimes and found these secrets? Physical anthropology, the study of skeletons and human remains, is integral to history and crime solving, as physical anthropology can be used to discover the identity …show more content…
The founder of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Ales Hrdlicka, loved physical anthropology because “While the anthropologist is… slowly reconstructing the past physical history of man, he is also with every new fact adding another imperishable block to the foundation upon which will stand not only the knowledge of the future… but also the laws of his further physical development…”(johnkawkes.net/weblog). This is a beautiful way to show just how important and impactful physical anthropology is, and physical anthropology is still around and important today, so many years later! Today, the American Association of Physical Anthropologists is still around, and publishes the “American Journal of Physical Anthropology” and the “Yearbook of Physical Anthropology”(http://www.physanth.org/publications). Many people also helped contribute to physical anthropology and put it where it is today. The two biggest leading figures of physical anthropology when it got its start were Ales Hrdlicka and Earnest Hooton. Ales Hrdlicka was responsible …show more content…
In minutes, a physical anthropologist can tell a skeletons probable age, sex, and gender! The tells for these are in the bones, the different shapes, sizes, etc. of the bones(http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone). The main tool for finding the sex is, of course, the pelvis. “... the pelvis is the best sex-related skeletal indicator, because of distinct features adapted for childbearing”(http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/male_female.html). The male pelvis is narrower and heart shaped, while the female pelvis is open and circular(http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/male_female.html). As for age, the method for determining age differs based on whether or not the skeleton is fully developed. If it is not, the amount of cartilage left in the bones will give a probable age, as the bones in the body start out as cartilage and then bone takes the cartilages place as the person gets older; certain bones that stop growing at a certain age also can give away age(http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/young_old.html). As for fully grown skeletons, the amount of osteons (small blood vessels in the bone) in the bone and the size of the cranial sutures(the fissures separating the separate parts of the skull) will tell the probable age.((http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/young_old.html). Unlike age and sex where specific bones are the determining

Show More