ANT 201: Week 4

Week4: Osteology & Forensic Anthro

Skeleton

The framework of bones in the body that provides support, movement, protection, mineral and fat storage, and blood cell formation.

Bone is made up of both

Organic + Inorganic parts

collagen hydroxyapatite

• strength + elasticity

Osteocytes

Cells that deposit bone

• 2 types

Osteoclasts

Cells that absorb bone

*-clats “clans” .. you get absorbed in clan lifestyle

OsteoBlasts

Cells deposit bone

*-Blasts...blast you out of here

How may bones do you start with + how many bones do you end with

Start: 300

End: 260

• bones turn over the course of your life (10 years)

Diaphysis

The main length of a long bone

• where a lot of cell production occurs

*Dia-”diaphragm expands” expands means to stretch far

Epiphysis

The ends of a long bone

*Epiphany.. you realize something at the end

Cortical Bone

Compact bone on the outside of a long bone

• thickest at the diaphysis

  *sounds like “critical” so its serious and on the outside

Trabecular Bone

Spongy bone found inside a long bone

Standard Anatomical Position

The position where palms are facing forward

Axial Skeleton

The skull, ribcage, and spine

*Inside base…turning on the axis-main point

Appendicular Skeleton

The limbs and appendages

• all have pairs

Cranium

The area that surrounds the brain

Mandible

The jaw bone (bottom half)

• NOT part of the craniun

Maxilla

the upper part of your jaw

• holds your teeth

Mental Eminence

chin

*when you think you touch your chin

Occipital Bone

The bone at the back of the skull for vision

• protects cerebellum and occipital lobes

Orbits

eye sockets

Supraorbital Margin

Top of the eye socket

Supraorbital Ridge

bow ridge (unibrow)

What is the name of the line that runs between the frontal and parietal lobes

coronal

• runs across the skull (wide)

*Corona our cat is always running back and forth between the room

*Corona like a crown sits along the width of your head

What is the name of the line that runs on the side near the temporal lobe

temporal line

What is the name of the line that runs along the length of your skull

sagittal suture

What is the name of the line that runs width wise at the back of your head near occipital lobe

Lambodial suture

*Lamb- “land”...roames across the land of your head

Nuchal Line

runs up your spine into your brain

Foramen Magnum

spine cords gets into the cranium

*Foramen …”foreign men”..Spine is a foreign man invading into the head

Temporal auditory meatus is

the external opening ti the ear canal

Temporal Bone

The bone on the side of the skull

Zygomatic

cheekbones

*-matic..”ecstatic” you smile really wide and it prompts your cheeks

Hyoid

attachment point to the muscles that allow us to speak

• only bone in the body that doesn’t articulate with any other

Sternum

also known as the breastbone and articulates to the ribs

• protection of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels from physical damag

Ribs

articulate through the ribs 12 pairs and 24 in total

• 1-7 Real: articulate indiv.

• 8-10 False: share cartilage but aren’t idiv

• 11-12 Floating: don’t articulate at all

  • some people can be born w/out the 12 rib if really small

Vertebra

makes up the spinal column

Cervical Vertebra : # + function

#7 and part of the neck

Thoracic: #12 + function

#12 + stabalizes the ribcage

*Thor…a steady figure and support

Sacrum: # + function

#5 (fused) + strengthens and stabilizes pelvis

Coccyx

#4 (Fused) + is the tailbone

Lumbar

#5 + make the lower back

*lumberjacks have to be big + robust to be able to chop wood (swinging engages the back)

Atlas (C1) + Axis (C2)

1st + 2nd vertebre that allows us to move our head

Clavicle

The collarbone

Scapula

The shoulder blade

Humerus

The bone in the upper arm (top arm bone)

• gives the arm motion range w/ gelnoid fossa

Ulna

forearm on the medial side (bottom)

• closer to the body

• fits into the olecranon fossa + creates the elbow joint

Radius

forearm on the lateral side (top)

• thumbs up is the radius side

Carpals

The bones in the palm of the hand

Metacarpals

The bones that lead into the fingers

• includes knuckles

Phalanges

The bones in the fingers

• 4 fingers have 4 phalanges

• thumb only has 2 phalanges

Innominate

The hip bone “no name”

• also known as oscoxa

• made up of 3 parts that fuse together as you develop

Illium

if you put your hands on your hips you’re touching the illium

Ischium

bottom tips of your pelvis

Pubis

used for sex estimation

Acetabulum

connects hip bone to the femur

• ball + socket joint

• easier to dislocate cause it’s not the same as in your shoulder

*antebellum - before something .. before the femur

Femur

The thigh bone

• strongest bone in the body

Patella

The kneecap

What makes up teeth?

dentition and enamel

• NOT bone (enamel doesn’t regenerate)

• 4 types: incisor, canine, premolar, molar

What is the human dental formula?

2-1-2-3

• we don’t have as many teeth as other species

Incisor

A type of tooth used for cutting

*incision —> surgery cutting

Canine

A type of tooth used for tearing

*canine → dog → security dog would tear you to shreds

Premolar

A type of tooth used for grinding

Molar

A type of tooth used for grinding

Forensic Anthropology

The application of anthropological principles to medico-legal investigations, particularly using knowledge of human osteology.

General Archaeological Rule (#of years)

50+ years makes it archaeological

• flexible

Biological Profile

Estimating

• sex

• age at death

• stature

• population affinity of an individual from skeletal remains.

Pathology

anything that happens after death

Sex Estimation

Determining the biological sex of an individual based on skeletal characteristics.

Non-metric: [morphological] 

Metric: [measurements]

• pelvis

• skull

• jaw

What do we look at when we’re estimating sex?

the innominate

Works on a scale: 1-5

       - Females closer to 1, males closer to 5

          Females  <—--------------------> Males

•  the contour [curve] of the innominate (pelvis hip)

• males have more of a ‘V’ shape

  *v-line

• while females have a ‘U’ shape

What’s another thing that we can look at to estimate sex

the skull

• 1-5 scale     

• Males have a more robust skull

  → eyebrow ridge protrudes

  → as well as the back the head sticks out more w/ a slight hook

• Females are more gracile

  → smoother eyebrow ridge, and compacted skull

Eruption

teeth gorwing in

Age Estimation

Determining the age at death of an individual based on skeletal characteristics

• pelvis

• teeth

• rib ends

Stature Estimation

Estimating the height of an individual based on skeletal measurements

• Use certain tools: osteometric boars and calipers

Trauma

Indicates injuries suffered

• whether or not associated with death

• May reflect day-to-day life or interpersonal injury

Blunt Force Trauma

Injuries caused by a wide area of impact

• hammer

• car accident

Features: radiating fracture [grow out from area of impact]

Sharp Force Trauma

Injuries caused by a small area of impact

• cutting

• stabbing

examine cut marks

Projectile Trauma

Injuries caused by an object moving through the air

• gunshots

• arrows

• spears

Gunshot Wounds (GSW)

Trauma caused by a gunshot

• identified by beveling, size, and irregularity of edges

also often has radiating fractures

Antemortem Trauma

Trauma before death is identified through signs of healing.

Postmortem Trauma

Trauma that occurs after death and is identified through taphonomic alterations.

Taphonomy

alteration after death

ex: vultures eating a dead carcas or a body being moved

• Dry bone

• look for staining, jagged rough edges, irregular patterns

Perimortem

around the time of death —> a few days or hours before

• Identified by “green” wet bone

• look for radiating fractures, uniform coloration, bone tear, sharp edges