Forensic anthropology?

Question

what is forensic anthropology? how do u become a forensic anthropologist? what opportunities are open for forensic anthropologitsts?

Answer 1

Im working towards my degree in Forensic Anthropology...

you have to have 6-10 years of college....

You can work with archives and crime labs.... you can travel to other countries.... as soon as I finish my dgree I want to go to Auswitz to do work

Answer 2

Forensic anthropology is basically human osteology related to cases of forensic context, or within the past 50 years.  A forensic anthropologist is called to consult on cases whre the remains are too decomposed for an autopsy or already skeletonized.  The job of the forensic anthropologist is to determine the biological profile of the individual: s*x, age, stature and, if possible, race.  Once the biological profile is determined, then you have to examine the remains for anything out of the ordinary that may suggest a manner of death, or disease.  The report is given to the ME who then determines the final cause of death, that's not something a forensic anthropologist would do.

First thing you need to do is get a BA in anthropology.  Double majoring in anthro and biology is good, but I was told that I really needed that the anthropology degree more than the biology one if I wanted to be in this field.  Next, you need to get a Master's from a school that certifies an MA with a specialization in forensics.  With a Master's you can find a job, but if you want to be a fully fledged forensic anthropologist you need a Ph.D.  All in all, about 8-10 years of college.

Right now the field for forensic anthropologists is limited mostly to academia and the occassional consultation.  However, the field is rapidly expanding so in the future there wll be more jobs open to forensic anthropologists.

Answer 3

I cribbed most of this from Wikipedia, but I did work in this field for several years, excavating skeletons at cemetery sites in MD and PA

Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology (the study of the human skeleton) in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are more or less skeletonized. A forensic anthropologist can also assist in the identification of deceased individuals whose remains are decomposed, burned, mutilated or otherwise unrecognizable. The adjective "forensic" refers to the application of this subfield of science to a court of law.

To become a forensic anthropologist, you'll need an undergraduate degree in anthropology or biology, and a PhD in physical anthropology and/or archaeology, with a specialization in this area.

Forensic anthropologists assist in the search and recovery of human remains which are too far decomposed for the normal autopsy by a forensic pathologist. They work to establish identity profiles of unknown individuals from the skeleton (decomposing, mummified, burnt or unrecognizable), age at death, gender, stature (height), pathology, time since death and skeletal trauma to determine the manner of death.

A forensic anthropologist may be called in when human remains are found during archaeological excavation, or when badly decomposed, burned, or skeletonized remains are found by law enforcement or members of the public. The identification of skeletal, badly decomposed, or otherwise unidentified human remains is important for both legal and humanitarian reasons. The anthropologist can assess metric and nonmetric characteristics of the bones to determine the minimum number of individuals, s*x, stature, age at death, time since death, ancestry and race, health, and unique identifying characteristics such as healed breaks or surgical scars. Sometimes the forensic anthropologist must determine whether the remains found are actually human. Occasionally, positive identification can be established from such remains, but often only an exclusionary identity can be drawn. However, the primary responsibility of a forensic anthropologist is to provide law enforcement with a biological profile of the deceased (age, s*x, ancestry, stature, and individualizing characteristics) to help narrow down the possible identity of the decedent.

In skeletal trauma analysis, some forensic anthropologists can accurately determine whether sharp force, blunt force, or ballistic injury occurred before death (antemortem), near the time of death (perimortem), or after death (postmortem). By examining the marks left on bone, particularly skilled forensic anthropologists may be able to determine general class characteristics of the weapon used. Even cremated remains can provide a surprising amount of information about the deceased individual.

It's a very small and specialized field. One of the pioneers of this field was the late Dr. J. Lawrence Angel of the Smithsonian Institution.