Forensic Anthropology Pathfinder

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Rachel Lee IST 605 M001 Due Date: December 1, 2011 A Pathfinder for Forensic Anthropology Many people do not know what forensic anthropology is about or correlate the subject with the television show, Bones. Forensic anthropology is a branch of physical anthropology that uses specific data and techniques to determine the sex, age, genetic population, or parentage of skeletal or biological materials in regard to civil or criminal law1. The purpose of this pathfinder is to inform people about forensic anthropology so they can begin research. It will have materials regarding the history of the subject, famous criminal cases, popular medias influence, and other relevant areas. Here are some same questions that this pathfinder will answer: What is the history of forensic anthropology? How has television influenced forensic anthropology? What is the purpose of the Diplomates of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (DABFA) and who are on the board? What are some popular forensic anthropological cases? What is the Body Farm?

Here are some Internet Resources 1. ABFA, Inc. (2008). http://www.theabfa.org/index.html. APA. This website provides information on what the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) is and lists the current diplomats and how to contact them. This list includes their university affiliations and a link to learn more about the research each diplomat is doing or has done to further the field of forensic anthropology. There is a brief explanation about forensic anthropology and why it is essential to select forensic anthropologists with certification. Additionally, it realistically approaches the career for all interested individuals. 2. Bass, W.M. (Host). (n.d.). The Body Farm: A Tour with Bill Bass [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.jeffersonbass.com/video_body_farm_tour.html This video provides a brief tour of the University of Tennessees Anthropological Research Facility, endearingly known as the Body Farm, from its creator, Dr. Bass. Bass explains how bodies are typically acquired and indulges viewers in some quick facts about the deceased. Information can be attained from decomposed bodies and the environment they are within. There are a few ongoing projects that the faculty and students are involved with in the Body Farm in order to recreate various death scenarios and further assist law enforcement, morgue specialists, researchers, etc. 3. Central Identification Laboratory (CIL). (n.d.). In Joint POW/MIA appointing command: Accounting for Americans lost during past U.S. conflicts. Retrieved from http://www.jpac.pacom.mil/index.php?page=cil&size=100&ind=3
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This definition is found in http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/forensic+anthropology

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Joint POW/MIA Appointing Commands (JPAC) Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) is a military agency that contains some renowned forensic anthropologists and other multi-disciplinary professionals from the forensics field. This is an informative website about the CIL, their mission, partners, and ongoing projects, and about how interested students and professionals can get involved. There is also a section regarding the CILs Forensic Science Academy, an advanced forensic anthropology program. It is a practical way for students to learn how to collaborate with not only their cohort, but also law enforcement and other professional experts outside of the university and field. Flatow, I. (Host). (2007, October 4). Video from the Vault: See the Body Farm [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2007/Oct/hour2_100407.html While is an instructive video, a fair warning is that it contains both graphic descriptions and images. The host narrates a case study in Knoxville, Tennessee led by forensic experts, Dr. Bill Bass and Dr. Neal Haskell, known as the Bone Detective and the Maggot Master respectively. The experts and narrator explain the methods used in determining the time of death of an individual, particularly with bugs and insects. This is where the warning comes into effect. Haskell concisely discusses the cycle of blowflies and other critters and how this relates to rate of decomposition. This video concludes with a brief glance at Dr. Bass Body Farm and why such a facility is necessary for the future of forensic anthropology. Forensic Anthropology Center. Retrieved from University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville, Department of Anthropology website: http://web.utk.edu/~fac/. This is the official university website for Dr. William Bass Forensic Anthropology Center, also known as the Body Farm. While it offers a plethora of information, an important note is that no tours of the facility are given due to the assortment of ongoing research. Despite this, there are volunteer applications offered to assist in collecting data for these experiments. On this webpage, there is a concise summary on forensic anthropology, applicable courses offered at UT, and how to donate bodies for further study. There are also reports on the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank (FDB) and other collections, labs, and projects. Ramsland, K. (n.d.). Reading the Bones. Forensic Anthropology. Retrieved from http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/anthropology/2b.html This specific chapter discusses and outlines forensic anthropology, especially a brief explanation of the common identifying factors in determining the identity of an individual and how they most likely may have died. These factors enable forensic anthropologists to work alongside homicide detectives and other law enforcement officers. The material is somewhat dated since Ramsland uses controversial and dated terms such as gender and race. It is important to note that the term sex has replaced gender in the field and that race is usually not a factor considered due to the likelihood that no individual is purely from one race. Regardless, the other information presented is still useful. For more content on famous forensic anthropological cases, take a look at the other chapters that are available. Reichs, K. (2011). Inspiration. In Kathy Reichs Bones. Retrieved from: http://kathyreichs.com/bones/ Perusing not only this section, but this entire site, gives visitors a second-hand sense of forensic anthropology professionally and how it has affected popular media

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and vice versa. This website provides an in-depth, behind-the-scenes perspective of the television series, Bones, particularly the logistics of why Dr. Kathy Reichs began writing the Temperance Brennan novels, which became the foundation for the series. She gives an honest opinion about her career as a female forensic anthropologist, novelist, and producer. Her blog, which is linked to the site, is another way to learn more and stay current with Reichs. Here are some Print Resources 1. Bass, W.M. (2005). Human osteology: A laboratory and field manual (5th ed.). Missouri Archaeological Society. This field manual conveniently comes as a small spiral-bound book, which is easily accessible for researchers perusing it outdoors. It is practical for students, researchers, professionals, etc. because of its examples and formulas. The quick formulas are for determining the approximate height and other factors of an unidentified individual or remains. There are also diagrams of human bones at various stages of growth and fractured bones with a description of the possible causes. 2. Bass, W.M., & Jefferson, J. (2004). Death's acre: Inside the legendary forensic lab the body farm where the dead do tell tales. Berkley Trade. Dr. William Bass co-wrote his autobiography with Jon Jefferson about the necessity for an experimental facility that would become known as the Body Farm through his expert work on several forensic cases. This is good resource for those who want to learn more about the field of forensic anthropology through the eyes of one of its distinguished specialists. The details of the cases are heinous, but Bass determination to piece together the identities behind endless collections of unknown bones in order that another family may receive peace of mind, makes it a worthwhile read. 3. Burns, K.R. (2006). Forensic anthropology training manual. (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. This textbook is useful for students and individuals interested in the subject and includes many relevant illustrations and photographs. A third edition will be published by January 2012, but in the meantime this is a basic, useful tool to learn and understand more about forensic anthropology, including challenges in the field. Burns provides a realistic approach for those interested primarily from popular media. 4. Mann, R. & Williamson, M. (2006). The forensic detective: How I cracked the worlds toughest cases. United States of America: Ballantine Books. This autobiography serves the purpose of describing one mans journey from the past to a career path working with renowned forensic anthropologist, Dr. William Bass, at the Body Farm located in the University of Tennessee. Dr. Bass himself endorsed the book by claiming it to be the perfect segue for those who are CSI [the television show] fans. Colloquially, Mann presents to the public what it takes to become a forensic anthropologist and the techniques he has both used and learned along the way, including how to tell if a bone is human or not when the fragment is the size of a dime. 5. Maples, W.R., & Browning, M. (1995). Dead men do tell tales: The strange and fascinating cases of a forensic anthropologist. New York, NY: Broadway. Would you taste a fragmented bone sample? Sounds bizarre, but this is one of many techniques that Dr. William Maples successfully uses to determine the origin of a bone fragment because sometimes the pieces are the size of pebbles. This memoir is

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meant for any individual interested in forensic anthropology and science. Throughout his book, Maples clearly describes his procedures for some of the well-known forensic cases he handled. He has intentionally filled it with insightful remarks, distinct case studies, and anecdotes of his divergent path to forensic anthropology. 6. Steadman, D.W. (2009). Hard evidence: Case studies in forensic anthropology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. This textbook is resourceful because it will typically reinforce theories and terms learned in a beginner or advanced forensic anthropology course. It was particularly useful as a reference when performing laboratory exercises since there are many formulas available such as how to determine an individuals approximate height and whether they are male or female. The techniques are helpful depending on what is relevant to the current case and the theoretical information in the beginning assists with better understanding later concepts. 7. White, T.D., & Folkens, P.A. (2005). The human bone manual. Burlington, MA: Academic Press. This manual is portable and contains pictures of human bones so that professionals, researchers, and students can see what any bone of the body looks like, especially when studying fragments. It shows their unique features so students know how to side a bone if it were out of its original context. Additionally, it provides a glossary of terms that are commonly used in this field. 8. White, T.D., Black, M.T., & Folkens, P.A. (2011). Human osteology (3rd ed.). Academic Press. This textbook is a useful reference for not only students, but multi-disciplinary professionals and experts in the forensics field. The new edition includes more illustrations of the human skeleton, including an in-depth analysis of the attached muscles. Diagrams and photographs are especially helpful when determining the side of a fragmented bone, which the authors support with examples from case studies. An extra appendix dealing with isolated teeth, which is notoriously an intricate task, has been incorporated to assist students and other researchers. Here are some Database Resources 1. AnthropologyPlus. (1992-2011). OCLC. APA. This database is particularly useful for finding materials that specifically pertain to anthropology, archaeology, and relevant interdisciplinary studies. The search function sorts the titles by avoiding A, An, The, but does not skip the space after these aforementioned articles. This unfortunately causes these particular titles to be brought up at the beginning of the list. Another consideration for the search function is that the year cannot be used independently to limit the documents, but instead is a supplement for other search terms. 2. FORENSICnetBASE. (2010). Taylor and Francis. APA. This database is principally useful for those in the field of forensic science and/or law since it contains a compilation of reference materials, mainly PDF files of available, related textbooks. While searching through the texts, the users have the option to choose whether or not they would like to view full access content only, which will narrow the query to the specific need. When using the search function, author and subject queries can be placed together in the keyword field.

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3. JSTOR. (2000-2011). JSTOR. APA This database offers full-text access to scholarly files from journals, magazines, and newspapers in the field of mathematics, science, the arts, and humanities. Articles pertaining to forensic anthropology will either be analytical, a discussion, or a scholarly peer review of a technique being used by specialists. The search function of this resource requires the phrase to be within quotation marks. 4. LexisNexis Academic. (2011). LexisNexis. APA. This database provides full-text files of legal news, particularly federal, state, and national, in addition to business and industrial information. The former pertains indirectly to forensic anthropology due to the nature of legal issues and therefore a student, professional, or researcher will find information regarding both historical and recent forensic cases. 5. PROQuest. (2011). ProQuest LLC. APA. PROQuest is a compilation of multi-disciplinary databases. There are options to limit the results to either peer-reviewed and/or full-text only, which provides students and researchers with diverse and rich content. Furthermore, results can be organized by relevance or date and also by the type of source, document style, or etc. There are pieces about the history of forensic anthropology as well as technological and analytical advancements that are being reviewed for accuracy and legitimacy. 6. PubMed. United States National Library of Medicine. APA. This database has a heavy focus in the medical, health, and science fields, which also pertains to forensic anthropology. There is an option available to limit the results to full-text articles or reviews. The reviews are preferable for individuals who need information on a new or old technique under current analysis. The full-text articles contain abstracts which makes researching a specific aspect of forensic anthropology easier when narrowing down the results to a particular interest in the field.