ANTH 411 - Human Forensic Osteology

Units: 3
Identification and interpretation of human skeletal remains. Includes significant anatomy content designed to build skills in identifying bone fragments. Analysis of identity, trauma, pathology, and bone modification emphasized, especially as relevant to reconstructing events in life and immediately surrounding death.

Strongly Recommended Preparation: Concurrent enrollment in ANTH 410.
Prerequisites: One of: ANTH 110, BIOL 270, BIOL 271.
Equivalent Quarter Course: ANTH 4280.
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Introduce students to the wide range of crimes and circumstances where the Forensic Anthropologist is required;
Provide students with a comprehensive background in the function and role of forensic anthropological skills in forensic identification at the scene and mortuary;
Outline the role of other forensic specialists when arriving at an identification;
Introduce the students to the stages of body decomposition and how it applies to forensic identification;
Introduce the student in the analysis of cremated remains and the application in forensic cases;
Apply techniques needed when dealing with human remains within a legal framework is osteological contexts;
Apply skills required to produce a basic statement from the analysis of human osteological remains as it is done in forensic and archaeological contexts;
Understand how to aid law enforcement in the identification of the person(s) in question by understanding what the police look for, and how to work within a multidisciplinary team of forensic archaeologists, entomologists, DNA specialists and others.