Forensic Anthropology Contemporary Theory and Practice

by Komar, Debra; Buikstra, Jane

• ISBN13: 9780195300291
• ISBN10: 0195300297
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-07
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Forensic anthropology is a vastly popular and rapidly changing profession, yet to date there has been no volume that reflects the current state of the discipline and forecasts its future. The first comprehensive text in the field, Forensic Anthropology: Contemporary Theory and Practice examines the medical, legal, ethical, and humanitarian issues associated with forensic anthropology, current forensic methods, and bio-historical investigations. Forensic Anthropology offers a unique synthesis of theoretical and methodological coverage. Rather than simply describing methodology, Komar and Buikstra place forensic anthropology in the broader context of medico-legal death investigations, critically evaluating practical techniques in a scientific framework and detailing the anthropologist's role in relation to both law enforcement and the medical examiner or coroner. The authors review the current state of the field, emphasizing recent changes to the judicial guidelines regarding the admissibility of scientific evidence in court. They highlight the impact of these rulings, the increased need for scientific rigor, and the evolving nature of anthropological studies, preparing students to function effectively in the demanding judicial system that will evaluate their work in the future. The text also stresses the vital importance of research in the development of forensic applications of anthropology. Forensic Anthropology is enhanced by numerous illustrative case studies and more than ninety photos and illustrations that help to deepen and enrich students' understanding of the material. Coauthored by a top authority in forensic anthropology and an anthropologist whose fieldwork has included medico-legal death investigation in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Darfur, this volume is an in-depth and indispensable guide to the dynamic and rapidly professionalizing field of forensic anthropology.

Table of Contents

Chapters 2-10 open with an Introduction and end with a Conclusion

Preface

Introduction

Forensic Anthropology: A Brief History (1972-2006)

What is Forensic Anthropology Today?

Where Do Forensic Anthropologists Work?

Is Forensic Anthropology in the US Expanding?

Forensic Anthropology Outside the US

Research in Forensic Anthropology Today

Forensic Anthropology in Perspective

The Medicolegal System

The Medicolegal System

Jurisdiction

Death Investigation: Cause and Manner of Death

Motive, Intent, and Volition: Autopsy and Postmortem Examinations

Triage and Mechanisms of Death: Anthropology and Autopsy: Public Perception of Autopsy

Evidence and the Judicial System

Evidence

Recognizing Evidence: Evidence Interpretation: Rationality versus Parsimony

The Judicial System: An Overview

Testifying as a Witness

Qualifying as an Expert Witness: Homicide

Crime Scene Investigation: Identifying Medicolegal Remains, Search Strategies, and Scene Documentation

Identifying Remains of Medicolegal Significance

Types of Nonmedicolegal Remains: Distinguishing Recent from Archaeological Remains: Differentiating Human from Animal Bone and Nonbiological Materials

Jurisdiction and the Crime Scene

Responsibility versus Authority: Protocols: Evaluating Scenes

Search Strategies

Evidence

Documentation

Burials

Archaeological versus Forensic Approaches to Excavation: Theories of Deposition: Report Writing

Beginning the Identification Process: Developing Biological Profiles

Theories and Methods in Forensic Anthropology

The Estimation of Sex from Skeletal Remains

Sex: Juvenile Remains: Sex: Adult Remains: The Estimation of Age-at-Death from Skeletal Remains

Age: Juvenile Remains: Age: Adult Remains: Ancestry

Stature Estimation

Other Physical Features

Pathology and Trauma Assessment

The Language of Pathology, Anatomy, and Medicine

Pathology: An Overview

Classes of Pathology: Trauma Assessment

Sharp Force Trauma: Tool Mark Analysis: Blunt Force Trauma: Internal and External Factors in Fractures: Asphyxia: Gunshot Wound Interpretation

Typical Gunshot Wound Morphology: Atypical Gunshot Wound Morphology: Determining the Sequence of Injuries in Polytonic Trauma

Forensic Taphonomy

Forensic Taphonomy

The Goals of Forensic Taphonomy

Time-since-Death Estimation: Methods of Time-since-Death Estimation: Bone Modification: Mechanisms of Transport: Preservation and Collection Bias: Reconstructing Perimortem Events

Personal Identification

How Identification Is Established

Categories of Identification

Doe Designation: Methods of Positive Identification

Visual Recognition: Fingerprinting: DNA: DNA and Forensic Anthropology: Forensic Odontology: Radiologic Identification: Alternative Medical Imaging

Impact of Daubert on Positive Identification

Photographic Superimposition and Facial Recognition

Mass Death and International Investigations of Human Rights ViolationsWar Crimes

Genocide: Group Identity versus Personal Identification: Personal Identification

Humanitarian versus Medicolegal Response

Establishing Jurisdiction: Agencies: Mass Graves

Commingling: Objectivity

Biohistory: Historical Questions, Methods, and EthicsBiohistory--Past and Present

Other Biohistorical Questions

Noninvasive Analyses

A Case Study in Biohistorical and Forensic Investigation: Billy the Kid

A Brief History of Billy the Kid: The (Almost) Exhumation of Billy the Kid: Glossary

Bibliography

Index

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