Forensic Anthropology Case Study

Introduction/Case Description

On a cool early morning in Anytown, USA, a young couple came across a human skull near a water fountain they had stopped at to drink. Soon after they quickly alerted the authorities. Police arrived at the crime scene, and began to examine the area. They unearthed three skeletons lying side by side. The police quickly came to realize that with the large backlog of missing person cases, they would need help. Police turned to the Forensic Anthropology department to help identify key features of these skeletons that would give investigators solid information to help identify them as one of the missing persons. By examining the Skulls, Pelvises, Tibias, and Humeri of the victims, one may be able to determine Sex, Race,

The investigators could make a plaster mold of the skull and submit it along with the information already found(age, race, sex, etc.) to a facial reconstruction specialist. The specialists would observe that she was of caucasoid origin and use that information to determine the amount of soft tissue to be put onto the model. They would then mold the clay around the skull, carefully observing the sites of the head and to create a model of what the face of the victim would’ve looked like. After photographing the finished model they would submit the photo to local media to find someone who would recognize the victim and come forth with information as to their

These measurements were collected through careful examination of the 4 bones (Pelvis, Femur, Humerus, and Skull) that were found during the investigation. Even though this information is a big jump ahead in identifying which missing person this is, further analysis must be done. Further steps to take in this case that could be useful could be Facial Reconstruction and Occupational Examination. Facial Reconstruction is used as a last resort, where they use computer technology to estimate what a person will look like when soft tissue is added to the bones. This can also be unreliable. Occupational Examination is where Forensic Anthropologists will look at bones for obvious signs of an occupation. This report will be updated as more information is