Forensic Anthropology and the Secrets of the Skull

Forensic anthropology is an important part of the forensic sciences. The forensic anthropologist is often called upon in situations where remains are badly decomposed and require an expert to determine the age, sex, height, and other traits that will help identify the deceased. Many times only scattered fragments of bone remain. If an intact skull, or other bone, is present, the forensic anthropologist's job is much easier.

During my college years, I had the opportunity to study under a forensic anthropologist in the state of Kansas. I've kept my interest in forensic anthropology through the years and have great respect for this discipline, and for those who dedicate their lives to solving the mysteries of the dead. In this article I will briefly explain, in understandable terms, what kinds of information a forensic anthropologist can gather from a human skull.

The human skull can yield many answers to questions of age, sex, racial affiliation, health, and in some cases, cause of death. I've added a short glossary of extra, useful terms at the end of this article.

Age

The skull consists of several plates connected by what are called cranial sutures. These sutures gradually fuse over time, and fuse at different rates. While exact age cannot be determined by the appearance of the cranial sutures alone, an approximation of age can be determined. In general, for example, the cranial sutures of a 30 year old will be much more pronounced than the cranial sutures of a 60 year old. As we age, the cranial sutures are obliterated and the skull becomes more smooth.

Sex

The skull can yield good clues about the sex of the deceased.

Males tend to have a more prominent brow ridge and slanting of the frontal bone (forehead). If the mandible (the lower jaw) is also present, the forensic anthropologist will look for a squared chin. Females tend to have a slightly more rounded jaw with a pointed chin. The female brow ridge tends to be smoother and the frontal bone is rounded.

In males, the occipital protuberance ( a bony protuberance in the back of the skull) is sometimes --but not always-- more pronounced.

Individuals vary and mistakes have been made when determining sex via the skull or jaw alone. Most of the time, however, the skull can be extremely helpful in determining the sex of the deceased.

Hereditary affiliation

Bone thickness and bone structure, are both used to help determine possible hereditary affiliation. Data has been collected through the years to help determine any structural differences between skulls of people with Asian, African, or European origins respectively. The prominence of the cheekbones and the width between the eye orbits are two of the several factors that are noted.

Health

Examination of the teeth can yield important information about diet, general health, and tobacco use.

Trauma

The forensic anthropologist will, of course, also look for signs of trauma to the skull.

Fractures and other traumas must be examined carefully to attempt to distinguish between traumas that are antemortem (before death) perimortem (at or around the time of death), or postmortem. Scavengers, and even the weather, can cause post mortem fractures that may appear to have been caused by perimortem violence. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if an injury to bone was caused at the time of death or shortly after. Weather, the chemical components of the area in which the skull was found, and many other factors play a role in how quickly the bone dries; therefore, the forensic anthropologist will take these factors into account when attempting to determine whether a skull injury occurred at the time of death of after. (Injuries that occurred days before death will display signs of healing)

Glossary of extra terms:

Cause of Death: "Cause of death" indicates the physical conditions or injuries that led to the death of the individual. Blunt traumas and heart disease, for example, are general terms that can be used as "Cause of Death".

Manner of Death: The question, "What was the Manner of death?," can be rephrased "Was it homicide, suicide, or natural causes, or unknown causes that led to the death of the individual?"

This article is not an all-inclusive guide to information that can be retrieved from the human skull, but I hope that it has given you an idea
of the kinds of information a skull can yield during a routine investigation.