Physical Anthropology (page 2)
Scope of Work
The scientist performing this task is usually a physical
anthropologist who has specialized in the study of human
skeletal biology. Physical anthropologists have a long tradition
of the study of human skeletal remains from ancient societies.
The techniques they have developed to determine sex, age
ancestral background (race), health status, marks of trauma
and occupational stress, and stature in life also have proven
extremely useful in forensic sciences.
Skeletal remains are x-rayed and studied
to provide additional information as to who the Person was
and possibly the cause of death.
Forensic anthropologists are skilled in the identification
of skeletal materials. In addition to their efforts to document
age, sex, stature, race, and other characteristics of the
specimens under investigation, they are familiar with various
types of injuries and can work with forensic pathologists
to establish cause of death. Many forensic anthropologists
have training in archaeological methods and assist law enforcement
agencies in the initial investigations of crime scenes.
Anthropologists, with their naturalistic approach to recovery
of skeletons, examination of animal remains, and analysis
of soil and vegetation patterns, can successfully recover
human remains from different kinds of terrain; e.g., deserts,
forests, river systems, etc.
Some forensic anthropologists are skilled in the art of
facial reproduction which involves the modeling of how a
face may have appeared in the living subject for which the
only surviving evidence is a skull. Other forensic anthropologists
have developed skills in the determination of time elapsed
since death by examining insect remains (entomology) and
states of body decompositions.
