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ANTH 176: INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
4 credit hours
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Felicia Madimenos (fmadimen@uoregon.edu)
Welcome to Introduction to Forensic Anthropology! This course teaches the basic analysis of human remains for the medico-‐legal profession, and will cover the history of the discipline, the human skeleton, determining postmortem interval, trauma evaluation, and individual
identification. It will also cover the investigation of crime scenes, the role of the forensic anthropologist, and case studies from a number of various situations.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: The two required texts for this course are available at the UO Bookstore & on various online book vendors:
• Introduction to Forensic Anthropology, 4th edition, by S. Byers • The Human Bone Manual by T. White and P. A. Folkens.
• I will supplement additional article readings by posting them to Blackboard.
OPTIONAL TEXTS:
• Human Osteology by T. White
• Human Osteology: A Laboratory and Field Manual of the Human Skeleton by W. Bass NOTE: There will be no extra credit and I only accept late work in the most extreme of circumstances.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course teaches the basic analysis of human remains for the
medico-‐legal profession, and will cover the history of the discipline, the human skeleton, determining postmortem interval, trauma evaluation, and individual identification. It will also cover the investigation of crime scenes, the role of the forensic anthropologist, and case studies from a number of various situations.
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1. Comprehension of basic anatomical terminology, specifically the names, features, location, architecture and general characteristics of the bones of the human skeleton. 2. An appreciation for the various disciplines associated with forensic anthropology
including archaeology, anatomy and physiology, biology, criminal law, entomology, and geology among others.
3. An understanding of crime scene methods, means of analysis, and age, gender, and ancestry skeletal identification.
4. A basic grasp on the effect on bones of cultural and environmental factors.
5. Ability to comprehend the role of forensic anthropology in the medico-‐legal community.
Your grade in the course will reflect your performance on a blackboard-‐based midterm and final exam, weekly lab assignments, and weekly quizzes. Weekly quizzes are based on the lab
component of the course and will focus on anatomical terminology, bone identification (e.g., features, landmarks), human vs. non-‐human bone determination, and sex, age, ancestry, and stature estimation. Quizzes are cumulative.
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 25%
Weekly Lab Assignments 20% (9 total/no assignment due Midterm Week [Week 5])
Weekly Quizzes 30% (9 total/no quiz during Midterm Week [Week 5])
Grades will be assigned as follows: A = 90-‐100%, B = 80-‐89%, C = 70-‐69%, D = 60-‐69%, F < 60% (with minus and plus grades assigned at appropriate cutoffs).
The grading system used in this course is as follows:
A – Outstanding performance relative to that required to meet course requirements;
demonstrates a mastery of course content at the highest level.
B – Performance that is significantly above that required to meet course requirements;
demonstrates a mastery of course content at a high level.
C – Performance that meets the course requirements in every respect; demonstrates an
adequate understanding of course content.
D – Performance that is at the minimal level necessary to pass the course but does not
fully meet the course requirements; demonstrates a marginal understanding of course content.
F – Performance in the course, for whatever reason, is unacceptable and does not meet
the course requirements; demonstrates an inadequate understanding of the course content.
Schedule
3
Wee
k Topics Reading Assignment
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Introduction to Course, What do Forensic Anthropologists Do?, Historical Background
Lab: Anatomical Terminology
Chapter 1 (Byers)
Chapter 1 (White & Folkens) Chapter 1 (Steadman) [pdf]
For lab, use this additional resource: Chapter 6 (White & Folkens)
2
Basic Bone Biology
Lab: The Human Cranium & Dentition
Chapters 2 (Byers)
Chapter 4 (White & Folkens)
For lab, use these additional resources:
Chapters 7 & 8 (White & Folkens)
3
Establishing the Forensics Context; Recovery Scene Methods
Lab: The Human Post-‐crania
Chapters 3 & 4 (Byers) Chapter 2 (White & Folkens) Chapter 2 (Rhine) [pdf]
For lab, use these additional resources:
Chapters 9-‐16 (White & Folkens)
4
Forensic Taphonomy; Post-‐Mortem Interval
Lab: Human versus Non-‐Human Remains
Chapters 5 & 6 (Byers) Chapter 5 (White & Folkens) Chapter 12 (Love & Marks) [pdf]
For lab, use these additional resources:
Chapter 3 (Byers); Chapters 9-‐16 (White & Folkens)
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Film: Forensic Anthropology at the Body Farm**
**(A question worksheet will be available with this film to answer but will not be graded. However, there will be questions on the midterm based on this film.)
Midterm Exam
No assigned readings, assignments, or quiz this week. Study for the midterm!
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Estimation of Age at Death in Adults and Subadults
Lab: Determining Age at Death
Chapter 9 (Byers) Chapter 4 (Rhine) [pdf]
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resources:
Chapter 19 (White & Folkens); resources posted to blackboard for Week 6
7
Attribution of Sex in Adults and Subadults ; Estimation of Ancestry
Lab: Determining Sex and Ancestry of the Decedent
Chapter 7 & 8 (Byers) Sauer (1992) [pdf]
For lab, use these additional resources:
Chapter 19 (White & Folkens); resources posted to blackboard for Week 7
8
Calculation of Stature; Antemortem and Postmortem Changes to Bone; Pathology
Lab: Stature & Distinguishing Antemortem from Postmortem Changes
Chapters 10, 15, 16 (Byers) Chapter 17 (White & Folkens)
For lab, use these additional resources:
Chapters 5 & 19 (White & Folkens); resources posted to blackboard for Week 8
9
Trauma: Projectile and Blunt; Sharp and Miscellaneous
Lab: Identifying Trauma from Skeletal Remains
Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14 (Byers) Chapter 10 (Smith et al.,) [pdf]
For lab, use these additional resources:
Chapters 5 & 19 (White & Folkens); resources posted to blackboard for Week 9
10
Individual Identification; Facial approximation; Court Testimony; Human Rights
Lab: A Case Study – Putting the Pieces Together
Chapters 17 & 19 (Byers) Prag and Neave (1997) [pdf] Resources posted to Blackboard
For lab, use all the resources available to you during the past 9 weeks as applicable
11 Final Exam
Sources of Additional Readings Listed Above:
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Anthropology. DW Steadman (Ed). Prentice Hall: New Jersey.
Prag J and Neave R. 1997. Making Faces Using Forensic and Archaeological Evidence. Texas A&M
University Press.
Rhine, S. 1998, Bone Voyage: A Journey in Forensic Anthropology. University of New Mexico Press:
Albuquerque.
Smith OC, Pope EJ, and Symes SA. 2003. Look Until You See. In Hard Evidence: Case Studies in Forensic
Anthropology. DW Steadman (Ed). Prentice Hall: New Jersey.
Steadman, DW. 2003. Hard Evidence: Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology. Prentice Hall: New Jersey.