Contributions of pathological alterations to forensic anthropology interpretation

Pathology plays a key role in various aspects of interpretation within forensic anthropology.  These contributions include of the effects of pathological conditions and using them to facilitate identification efforts.  In the context of the broader definition of pathology as “something abnormal” it forms the foundation of much of the logic, methodology and practice of forensic   In fact, only unusual conditions not by many others can be utilized for positive identification.  Recovery efforts and evaluation of the evidence of foul play, as well as the estimation sex, age at death, ancestry, living stature, time since death and other important components depend upon recognition of normal and abnormal patterns.  The multifaceted contributions of pathology to the practice of forensic are firmly documented in casework applications.Pathology plays a key role in various aspects of interpretation within forensic anthropology.  These contributions include observations of the effects of pathological conditions and using them to facilitate identification efforts.  In the context of the broader definition of pathology as “something abnormal” it forms the foundation of much of the logic, methodology and practice of forensic anthropology.  In fact, only unusual conditions not shared by many others can be utilized for positive identification.  Recovery efforts and evaluation of the evidence of foul play, as well as the estimation sex, age at death, ancestry, living stature, time since death and other important components depend upon recognition of normal and abnormal patterns.  The multifaceted contributions of pathology to the practice of forensic anthropology are firmly documented in casework application

Evaluation of ancestry from human skeletal remains: a concise review

Ancestry assessment represents a major component of forensic anthropological analysis of recovered human remains. Interpretations of ancestry, together with other aspects of the biological profile, can help narrow the search of missing persons and contribute to eventual positive identification. Such information can prove useful to authorities involved in the identification and investigative process since many lists of missing persons have a reference to this parameter. Recent research has strengthened available methodologies involving metric, non-metric morphological as well as chemical and genetic approaches. This review addresses the new anthropological techniques that are now available, as well as the complex historical context related to ancestry evaluation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

La contribución de las alteraciones patológicas a la interpretación en antropología forense

Pathology plays a key role in various aspects of interpretation within forensic anthropology.  These contributions include observations of the effects of pathological conditions and using them to facilitate identification efforts.  In the context of the broader definition of pathology as “something abnormal” it forms the foundation of much of the logic, methodology and practice of forensic anthropology.  In fact, only unusual conditions not shared by many others can be utilized for positive identification.  Recovery efforts and evaluation of the evidence of foul play, as well as the estimation sex, age at death, ancestry, living stature, time since death and other important components depend upon recognition of normal and abnormal patterns.  The multifaceted contributions of pathology to the practice of forensic anthropology are firmly documented in casework applicationsLa patología juega un rol principal en varios aspectos relacionados con la interpretación dentro de la antropología forense. Se presentan aquí diversas observaciones sobre los efectos de las condiciones patológicas y las formas cómo éstas pueden ser usadas para facilitar el proceso de identificación. Es justamente en el contexto de la definición más amplia de patología, como “algo anormal”, que se forma en gran medida la base de la lógica, de la metodología y de la práctica de la antropología forense. De hecho, las condiciones que no son frecuentes o que no se comparten con muchas otras personas son las que pueden ser utilizadas para llegar a la identificación positiva. Los esfuerzos durante el rescate y la evaluación de la evidencia de actividad criminal (foul play), así como la estimación del sexo, la edad al momento de la muerte, la filiación poblacional, la estatura en vida, el tiempo transcurrido desde el momento de la muerte y otros componentes importantes, dependen del reconocimiento de los patrones normales y los anormales. Las múltiples contribuciones de la patología a la práctica de la antropología forense son documentadas aquí a través de casos aplicados

Documented skeletal collections and their importance in forensic anthropology in the United States

Documented skeletal collections are the backbone of forensic anthropology due to their associated biohistories. This paper describes the identified skeletal collections and their relevance in forensic anthropological research, education and training in the US. The establishment of documented skeletal collections in the US can be distinguished into two modus operandi, depending on the stance towards the dead, legislation, and medical and forensic practices. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, anatomists amassed skeletons from cadaver dissections, shaped by European influences. Those skeletons compose the anatomical collections—such as the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection—predominantly representing impoverished and unclaimed individuals. Ethical concerns for the curation and research of African American skeletons without family consent are growing in the US. In contrast, since the 1980s, modern documented skeletal collections originated from body donations to human taphonomy facilities, such as the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. The establishment and testing of osteological methods essential to establish one’s identity—such as age at death and sex—have been developed with skeletons from documented collections. Therefore, the analysis of identified skeletons has been crucial for the development of forensic anthropology in the US.Bone Matters/Matérias Ósseas: IF/00127/2014/CP1233/CT0003 (funded by FCT/Portugal). Life After Death: Rethinking Human Remains and Human Osteological Collections as Cultural Heritage and Biobanks: 2020.01014.CEECIND (funded by FCT/Portugal). Bones Digital Footprint: Insights from Scientometrics and Social Media Analysis (BoDiPrint): UIDB/04038/2020

Patterns of Demographic Change in the Americas

Considerable scholarly debate has focused on the nature of demographic change in the Americas before and after 1492. Recent research on human skeletal samples and related archeological materials suggests that morbidity and mortality were increasing throughout much of the Western Hemisphere before 1492 in response to increased population density, increased sedentism, and changing subsistence. The evidence suggests that after 1492 population reduction was caused not by continental pandemics but by localized or regional epidemics augmented by social and economic disruption. The twentieth century has witnessed remarkable Native American population recovery, fueled both by improvements in health care and changing definitions of “being Indian.