Forensic Anthropology Process Analysis

A man was taking his dog for a walk. The dog broke free from the owner, and when the owner caught up with it, he discovered the dog had dug up a bone. Upon further examination, the dog’s owner suspected his dog had discovered the remains of a human body. He called the police to report his find. There are a number of steps a forensic anthropologist must take in order to identify an unidentified body.
The first step a forensic anthropologist might take to solve the case is to identify the age, gender, race, and height of the victim. They can do this by using clues from the bones. A forensic anthropologist might look at the ends of long bones to find the age. Another clue an anthropologist can use is the shape of the skull. They can use this to figure out the race of a victim. They also use the skull to find the gender of a person, but they can also use the pelvis. This would be their first step because it would help them know more about the victim. It would help them as they continue onto their next step.
The next step a forensic anthropologist might take is to copy the skull and create a facial reconstruction. To do this they will use the information from the previous step to create a face. A copy of the skull is used instead of the real skull so that the actual skull is preserved. This would be the
second step because in order for the forensic anthropologist to identify the victim, they might need the help of the public. The public can help if they have an idea of how the victim looks like. The third step that would be taken by an anthropologist is to identify the victim by using information from step one or the information that the public has given. Once the victim is identified, the forensic anthropologist can now work to identify the person responsible for the crime. If they have a clear idea of who is responsible, they can create a bust that can be displayed to the public. This would be the third step because identifying both the victim and murderer is needed to help make sure that justice served. During and sometimes after the forensic anthropologist has taken these steps, they must consult professionals in the field.
Bill Bass is one of the professionals they might consult. According to William Goodman, “There’s an old saying that dead men tell no tales, I think Dr. Bass proves that that’s not true” (Kohn, 1). A forensic anthropologist might consult Bill Bass because he is famous for his work in identifying the unidentified, he also founded the Body Farm. Another professional that might be consulted is Angela Libal. Libal stated, “The forensic anthropologist (usually also a forensic anthropologist) uses the skull and human anatomy to sculpt a face”
(37). Libal might be consulted because she wrote a book called “Forensic Anthropology”, which showed her extensive knowledge of the field. Frank Bender is a third person that could be consulted. He is famous for his forensic drawing of both unidentified victims and murderers. Libal stated, “Frank Bender, a forensic anthropologist, was hired by America’s Most Wanted to create a bust” (40). Bender might be consulted because he has helped to solve many cases, by creating a face of the victim and/or murderer.He could help give advice for steps one and two.
With forensic anthropology, you can find the identity of skeletons and solve many cases