Forensic anthropologists attempt to use anthropological methods to determine the age, sex, ancestry, and more information, from human remains. Forensic anthropologists can also help to determine cause of death, which is particularly useful in situations with suspected or confirmed criminal involvement.
Forensic anthropologists are highly useful in crime scenes and other key situations. Their abilities and skills allow them to determine important information about human remains, including:
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Whether the remains are human
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How many individuals make up the remains
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Insight into cause of death
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Age of the remains
This is just a portion of the information that forensic anthropologists can assist with providing. Besides this key information, forensic anthropologists are a source of other important data. Once the remains are identified, they can also help discover important information about the individual or individuals in question. Through different methods of data analysis, forensic anthropologists can determine essential characteristics such as age, sex, origin, and even other information such as medical issues, height, and information about life history. Much of the information collected by forensic anthropologists is from analyses of the bones or skeleton of an individual.
Forensic anthropology is an incredibly useful application of anthropological methods to current events. Forensic anthropologists play a useful role in historical and crime settings that helps other specialists and authorities recreate past events.
