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Secrets Of The Body Farm: The Uses Of Forensic Anthropology

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The Uses of Forensic Anthropology
To understand the many uses of forensic anthropology, one must first know what it means. Forensic anthropology is defined as the examination of human remains (for law enforcement agencies) to determine the various unknown aspects of a murder. Forensic anthropology is a very important tool in the hands of an investigator. It can be used to determine many previously unknown factors in an investigation. Forensic anthropology is used every day and has many different purposes.
First off, the main and most commonly known use of forensic anthropology is to catch criminals and protect the living. It can be referred to as giving a voice to those who cannot speak- the dead. As stated in the documentary Secrets of the Body Farm, forensic anthropology was originally …show more content…

Using a loose timeline, the stage of mortis or decomposition that the cadaver is in can be used to determine time of death. The specific time of death can either confirm or disprove an alibi, which helps in narrowing down a list of suspects or ultimately convicting a criminal. These same factors, specifically rigor, can also determine if a person truly died where the body was found. During rigor, a body stiffens. If a body is found in an unnatural position in regards to their surroundings while still in the stage of rigor mortis, then it can be concluded that they did not die there. Bones are used similarly and have been compared to fingerprints. Bones have scratches or breaks that can help establish identity or determine how long one has been dead. They are also used in dismemberment cases to determine what type of saw was used. Bugs, specifically the coffin fly, can determine where a person died, and the different generations of maggots can tell how long one’s been dead. These many aspects of death and decomposition can answer many questions and almost solve the case by

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