Who was Skull #0025336? A Forensic Anthropological Analysis of Human Remains

Biological anthropology identifies human remains to learn more about the individual or the ancient community from which they originate. Two subdisciplines of biological Anthropology that focus on osteology—the study of bones— are Forensic Anthropology and Biorchaeology. Forensic anthropology is the study of human remains associated with the legal process. They specifically analyze remains from post-1950. Biorchaeology also looks at human remains but in a historical and/or archaeological context. As osteologists analyze human remains, they typically try to create a biological profile. The biological profile includes classifications of ethnicity (ancestry), age, sex, and stature, as well as aspects of pathology and estimation of the cause of death. Each element of the biological profile employs various methods to identify information about the individual and bone abnormalities caused by life experiences. For this research, I analyzed an individual housed in the University of Northern Colorado’s Anthropology department who had not previously been examined. The university legally obtained the individual's skull as a teaching specimen from a medical supply company. The individual is identified as #0025336 by the company and labeled as number nine in the department. Upon receipt, no information was attached to the individual, necessitating further research. The main objective of this research is to further the educational value that this individual can present to students and future researchers. By applying the techniques associated with estimating the biological profile and additional methods such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and dental microwear analysis, more information about the individual can be uncovered to offer accurate data for educational purposes. In addition to traditional research, this study includes a fictive osteo-biography to help readers humanize the remains based on the evidence collected throughout the paper. The fictional story represents one way to interpret the evidence, and future researchers should be encouraged to explore alternative perspectives.