Department of Sociology and

Anthropology

Campus Box 8107

Raleigh, NC 27695-8107

919.515.3180
919.515.2610 (fax)
REPORT OF OSTEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION
CASE NUMBER: X88-999
DATE OF ANALYSIS OF REMAINS: Skeletal remains were photographed and analyzed in the
North Carolina State University Forensic Analysis Lab located in Park Shops room 225. The
examination began on 21 March 2012 and was completed on 23 March 2012. Digital photographs
were taken by Candice Chambers using a Nikon D80.
CONDITIONS OF REMAINS: The remains are completely skeletonized with no soft tissue
attached to them. The presence of a shiny translucent material on the anterior and posterior medial
aspects of the mandible suggests that the bone has been glued together by a staff member from the
NC OCME in Chapel Hill prior to the present osteological assessment.
NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS: The remains available for analysis represent the nearly complete
skeleton of one individual.
SEX: The remains represent a female. Gross morphological characteristics of the Os coxae
(presence of a ventral arc, U-shaped subpubic concavity angle and isciopubic ramus ridge, wide
greater sciatic notch, and broad pelvic inlet) (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994; Rogers and Saunders
1994) in addition to metric assessment of the scapula using the method developed by Dabbs and
Moore-Jansen (2010) indicate that this individual is female (XBS = 98.4mm, XHS = 131.1mm).
Sex (Female <0, Male > 0) = 0.212 x XBS + 0.201 x XHS – 51.425
AGE: The remains represent an adult. The pubic symphyseal surface of the Os coxae is consistent
with an individual with a mean age of 25 and an age range of 19-40 years (Phase II of the Suchey-
Brooks method) (Katz and Suchey 1986; White et al 2011). Morphology of the right 4th sternal rib
end is consistent with an individual with an age range of 20-24 (Phase III of the Iscan et al (1993)
method). Additional morphological characteristics of the sacrum (billowy sacral auricular surface
void of osteoarthritic lipping along the anterior rim, partially fused first sacral element) is consistent
with an individual with a mean age of 23.05 and an age range of 17-29 (Passalacqua 2009). Overall,
skeletal maturity is consistent with an individual in her early to late-twenties.
ANCESTRY: Gross cranial morphology (e.g. small nasal depression, moderate interorbital
breadth, and narrow nasal aperature width) is characteristic of an individual of European ancestry
(Hefner 2009). This is consistent with metric analysis using traditional craniometric measurements
(Moore-Jansen et al 1994) in FORDISC 3.1 (Ousley and Jantz 2005), which classified this
individual as a White female. Geometric morphometric assessment in 3D-ID 1.0 (Slice and Ross
2009) yielded consistent results, classifying this individual as a European-American female.
STATURE: The maximum femoral length (430mm), maximum length of the fibula (346mm), and
maximum length of the humerus (306mm) were used to estimate stature using measurements defined by
Moore-Jansen et al (1994). The predictive stature equation for modern white females was derived from
FORDISC 3.1. The mean predicted stature is 63.8in +/- 2.3in with a 95% prediction interval of 61.5-66.1 in
(or 5’1” – 5’5”).

Stature = FEMXLN + FIBXLN + HUMXLN +/- 2.3in

DENTITION: This individual exhibited good oral health as evidenced by professional dental treatment in
the form of fillings in the first and second left and right mandibular molars, first and second right maxillary
molars, and the second left maxillary molar in addition to a porcelain crown on the left first maxillary molar.
Antemortem dental records for this individual could potentially aid in identification.

PERIMORTEM/POSTMORTEM TRAUMA: The remains exhibit perimortem fractures to the left side of
the face in the maxilla, temporal bone (posterior to the zygomatic process), the vomer and the medial
anterior aspect of the sphenoid bone. Fractures to this portion of the skull resulted in the separation of the left
zygomatic and both nasal bones from the rest of the skull. These perimortem fractures originate from blunt
force trauma to the midfacial region of the left side of the skull as evidenced by fracturing along the sutures
consistent with plastic response (Berryman and Symes 1997:337). Postmortem trauma is evident throughout
the skeleton (cracking and breakage to the central maxillary incisors and the right lateral incisor, mandible
fractured along the medial aspect between the right lateral incisor and first premolar, transverse fracture to
the third right intermediate manual phalanx) (Villa and Mahieu 1991). Additionally, there is evidence of
weathering on the posterior superior iliac spine of the right Os coxa, posterior lateral margins of the sacrum,
iscial spine of the left Os coxa, lateral and medial margins of the proximal end of both tibia and medial
malleolus of the left tibia, the medial and lateral margins of the distal ends of the femur in addition to the
distal ends of several metatarsals.

ANOMALIES AND/OR INDIVIDUALIZING TRAITS: The sacrum of this individual exhibits a failure
of the neural arches to fuse in the first sacral vertebra, resulting in partial exposure of the vertebral canal
(White et al. 2011:439). This finding is consistent with spina bifida, a congenital disorder that can be
asymptomatic or severely debilitating (Ortner 2003:463; Mann and Hunt 2004:94). Spina bifida is reported
in only 9% of females (Mann and Hunt 2004:94) and may aid in identification if antemortem radiographs are
available for comparison. Additionally, the presence of seven fillings in mandibular and maxillary molars
and a porcelain crown on the left maxillary second molar may assist in identification if antemortem dental
records are available for comparison.

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS: These remains represent an adult female of European ancestry in her
early to late twenties with a stature ranging from approximately 5’1” to 5’5”. This individual exhibited signs
of good dental health as evidenced by the presence of implements indicative of professional dental treatment.
In addition, the individual exhibited perimortem blunt force trauma to the left midface region of the skull.

SUMMARY OF ATTACHMENTS: 11

_____________________

Candice L. Chambers,
Graduate Teaching Assistant
North Carolina State University

March 26, 2012

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