Overview

When a body is found that is too decomposed for a standard autopsy, the forensic anthropologist is called in. They are the experts of the skeleton. They can look at a pile of bones and tell you: Was this a man or a woman? How old were they? How tall? What ancestry? And, crucially, how did they die? It is the intersection of biology and justice.

Core Idea

The core idea is biological profile. The skeleton is not a static frame; it is a living record of your life. Your sex is written in your pelvis; your age in your ribs and teeth; your ancestry in your skull; your lifestyle in your muscle attachments. The anthropologist translates this biological code into a profile to help police identify the victim.

Formal Definition

The application of biological anthropology and osteology (study of bones) in a legal setting, usually for the recovery and identification of human remains and the determination of the time since death (post-mortem interval) and trauma analysis.

Intuition

Think of the TV show Bones. While exaggerated, the premise is real. A skull is found in the woods. The anthropologist looks at the brow ridge (large = male?), the sutures (fused = old?), and the teeth (fillings = modern?). They find a nick on a rib—a knife mark. They don’t solve the crime (that’s the detective’s job), but they give the victim a name and a voice.

Examples

  • Mass Disasters: After 9/11 or the 2004 Tsunami, forensic anthropologists worked for years to identify thousands of fragmented remains to return them to families.
  • War Crimes: In places like Bosnia, Rwanda, or Argentina, anthropologists excavate mass graves to document genocide and provide evidence for international courts.
  • Historical Mysteries: Identifying the remains of the Romanov family or King Richard III (found under a parking lot).

Common Misconceptions

  • They determine “Cause of Death”: Technically, only a Medical Examiner (MD) can sign the death certificate. The anthropologist determines “trauma” (e.g., “blunt force to the skull”), which supports the ME’s finding.
  • It’s instant: DNA is faster, but you need a sample to compare it to. If you have a skeleton and no idea who it is, you need the biological profile to narrow down the missing persons list first.
  • Osteology: The scientific study of bones. All forensic anthropologists are osteologists.
  • Taphonomy: The study of what happens to a body after death (decomposition, scavenging by animals, weathering). This helps determine when the person died.
  • Paleopathology: The study of ancient diseases in bones.

Applications

  • Human Rights: The “Forensic Turn” in human rights work uses the scientific objectivity of bones to counter state denial of atrocities.
  • Archaeology: The same skills are used to study ancient populations (e.g., determining the health of a Roman gladiator).

Criticism / Limitations

  • Race Determination: Estimating “ancestry” from a skull is controversial. While biological patterns exist, “race” is a social construct. Anthropologists must be careful not to reinforce scientific racism.
  • The “CSI Effect”: Juries now expect high-tech, definitive forensic evidence in every case, which real science cannot always provide.

Further Reading

  • Maples, William R. Dead Men Do Tell Tales. 1994.
  • Ubelaker, Douglas. Bones: A Forensic Detective’s Casebook. 1992.
  • Bass, Bill. Death’s Acre. 2003. (About the “Body Farm” where decomposition is studied).