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Forensic anthropology refers to the use of physical anthropology in a legal setting. The adjective "forensic" refers to the application of science to a court of law.
When human remains are found during anthropological or archaeological excavation, and when badly decomposed, burned, or skeletonized remains are found, a forensic anthropologist is needed. Metric and nonmetric traits are used to evaluate such characteristics of the bones as the minimum number of individuals, sex, stature, age, ethnicity (sometimes called "race",) health, and trauma. Forensic anthropologists do not determine cause of death of the unknown remains. That is the realm of the medical examiner or coroner. Sometimes the forensic anthropologist must determine whether the remains found are actually human. Many times, positive identity can be established from such remains, often only an exclusionary identity can be drawn.
Forensic anthropology is one of the divisions of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Two of the most important collections of human skeletal remains are the Hamann-Todd Collection, now housed in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Terry Collection, now housed in the Smithsonian Institution. These collections are an important historic basis for the statistical analysis necessary to make estimates and predictions from found remains. More modern collections include the Anthropological Research Facility and the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Some forensic anthropologists of note:
See also:: Forensics, Forensic odontology, Human skeleton, Expert witness
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