Forensic Anthropology and Document Analysis Techniques

Forensic Anthropology

The study of human remains to determine identity, cause of death, and time since death.

Osteology

The study of bones.

Sutures

Immovable joints in the skull that help determine age.

Epiphysis

The end part of a long bone, used to determine age.

Pelvis

The most reliable bone for determining sex in forensic investigations.

Cranial Sutures

The lines where skull bones meet; they close at predictable rates based on age.

Femur Length

Can be used to estimate a person's height.

Facial Reconstruction

A method forensic anthropologists use to recreate a face from a skull.

Bone Density

Helps determine the age and health of an individual.

Forensic Odontology

The study of teeth for identification purposes.

Forgery

The act of creating, altering, or imitating documents with the intent to deceive.

Questioned Document

Any document whose authenticity is in doubt.

Handwriting Analysis

The study of handwriting to identify authorship and detect forgery.

Counterfeiting

The illegal reproduction of currency, documents, or trademarks.

Ink Chromatography

A method used to analyze ink composition and determine if multiple inks were used.

Paper Analysis

Examination of paper type, thickness, and watermarks for authenticity verification.

Indented Writing

Impressions left on a sheet of paper underneath the original writing.

Line Quality

A feature in handwriting analysis that assesses whether lines are smooth or shaky.

Slant

The angle at which letters lean in a person's handwriting, which can be an identifying factor.

Spacing

The gaps between letters and words, used for forensic handwriting comparisons.