Forensic Science help... Skull?

Question

What characteristics of a human skull

provide clues about its origins?

Answer 1

This woman knows what she's talking about.  I couldn't have said it better myself.  The Field of study is called "Forensic Anthropology", and there should be at least some reference to it in your library.  Good luck!

Answer 2

Don't laugh, but can you tell what race the person is from the shape and size of the facial features??. I watched a CSI type documentary?

Answer 3

Many things.

Shape. West African skulls are prognathic, they tend to have a protruding mouth/jaw area, with a tendency to a longer thinner shape. Caucasian skulls are flatter faced, sometimes with occipital buns. Mongolid skulls are generally slightly concave, with a very round shape to the skull.

There's also a difference in the width and length of the nasal aperture between Caucasians and Africans.

The teeth. Necessary sometimes as Ethiopians and other East Africans have a very similar skull shape to Europeans.

African teeth are a lot bigger, with thicker enamel, and more complex grinding surfaces on the molars. Some mongloid teeth are 'sinodontic', having a shovel shape on the back of the tooth, also seen in native Americans and Pacific islanders.

If you are really stuck for point of origin, a sample of the bone will tell you via it's isotopes where the person grew up.

A collection of skulls, the top one is African, then Caucasian, then Mongoloid.

http://www.skullsunlimited.com/graphics/...

http://www.skullsunlimited.com/graphics/...

http://www.skullsunlimited.com/graphics/...

Answer 4

I would say the teeth can probably tell you the most.  Asian and Native American populations have what are called "shovel-shaped" incisors, which are distinctly different than other populations.

Answer 5

Scientists can use many characteristics of a skull to determine information about the individual.

Gender - males tend to have larger muscles so the areas where the muscles attach to the bone tend to be larger (like muscular ridges (brow ridge), the mastoid process (behind the ear)) and the occipital protuberance). There several other characteristics that can be used to s*x a skull - superior orbital margin (sharper in females), zygomatic arch (wider in males), chin, teeth, frontal sinuses.

Race - the nasal features of the skull can clue anthropologists in as to the race/ancestry of the skeleton. The opening, bone, sill and spine all have specific characteristics to that help identify race, along with prognathism and cephalic index. These are part of the skeletal morphology of the races as they have evolved over time. Of course nowadays this is becoming harder and harder as interracial mixing becomes more common.

Health - the bones and the teeth can aid in determining the health of the indivudal

Age - can be roughly determing from cranial suture closure, teeth can also be helpful assuming you have both cranium and mandible

Answer 6

Help me on American Government please 35.2

The characteristics of a human skull

provide clues about its origins by the color of

the skull that shows how long it has been in the ground the darker color the longer the skull has been in the ground

Re-word it thought please