Hassan's Story
Hassan’s Story
A) Bones have two different types of surface markings. One type of surface marking is depressions and openings. This type allows for the passage of soft tissues such as nerves and blood vessels, and also forms joints in the bone. The other type of surface markings is processes. This type are projections or outgrowths that either serve as attachment points for connective tissues like ligaments and tendons or help to form joints. B) Liu and Hassan were surprised to find a metopic suture on the skull due to the estimated age of the adult skull. The metopic suture should have been closed well before the man reached his teens and should have been completely closed by the age of 6 or 8. The metopic suture occurs in the frontal bone of the skull. In an adult skull this suture is known as the coronal suture. C) A skull that has been excavated will most likely be missing the ethmoid bone, nasal bones, and nasal concahe due to their delicate nature. D) Hassan and his team are able to determine the approximate ages of the skeletal remains by looking for a couple of key skeletal changes. The amount fusing of the sacrum and coccyx on the woman’s skeleton would give Hassan and his team a good indication of the woman’s age when she passed away. Hassan and his team would also be able to determine the age of the baby by the amount of ossification on the skull. The amount of ossification in the fontanels would help to determine the age of the baby when it passed away. E) Hassan would be able to tell that the larger skeleton in the sarcophagus was female by the position of the coccyx bone. The coccyx bone at the bottom of the vertebrae points inferiorly in females. This allows for the passage of a baby through the birth canal. The coccyx of a male skeleton would point anteriorly and the opening in the pelvic area would be less than that of a female. F) An indication of strangulation or neck trauma can be found on the hyoid bone. The
A) Bones have two different types of surface markings. One type of surface marking is depressions and openings. This type allows for the passage of soft tissues such as nerves and blood vessels, and also forms joints in the bone. The other type of surface markings is processes. This type are projections or outgrowths that either serve as attachment points for connective tissues like ligaments and tendons or help to form joints. B) Liu and Hassan were surprised to find a metopic suture on the skull due to the estimated age of the adult skull. The metopic suture should have been closed well before the man reached his teens and should have been completely closed by the age of 6 or 8. The metopic suture occurs in the frontal bone of the skull. In an adult skull this suture is known as the coronal suture. C) A skull that has been excavated will most likely be missing the ethmoid bone, nasal bones, and nasal concahe due to their delicate nature. D) Hassan and his team are able to determine the approximate ages of the skeletal remains by looking for a couple of key skeletal changes. The amount fusing of the sacrum and coccyx on the woman’s skeleton would give Hassan and his team a good indication of the woman’s age when she passed away. Hassan and his team would also be able to determine the age of the baby by the amount of ossification on the skull. The amount of ossification in the fontanels would help to determine the age of the baby when it passed away. E) Hassan would be able to tell that the larger skeleton in the sarcophagus was female by the position of the coccyx bone. The coccyx bone at the bottom of the vertebrae points inferiorly in females. This allows for the passage of a baby through the birth canal. The coccyx of a male skeleton would point anteriorly and the opening in the pelvic area would be less than that of a female. F) An indication of strangulation or neck trauma can be found on the hyoid bone. The
Cited: Jenkins, G., Kemnitz, C., & Tortora, G. (2010). Anatomy and Physiology, From Science to Life. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, INC.