Module 6 - Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Entomology (Bones & Bugs)
Lesson 1 - Determining Ancestry and Sex from Human Skeletal Remains
Activity
Related Experiment (Optional Activity)
Anthropometric Analysis: Body Size Comparison of Males and Females
Purpose: To compare and contrast the measurements of various body regions of human males and females
Materials:
- tape measure or metre stick or ruler
- calculator
- graph paper
- 4 to 6 male volunteers
- 4 to 6 female volunteers
Procedure:
- Take measurements of various body parts of at least 8 to 12 different people – at least four being female and at least four being male. (Include yourself in one of these two groups.) This may be challenging, but try to have all your volunteers of a similar age. If your volunteers are under age 18, choose those within an age range of 2 years. If your volunteers are over the age of 18, choose an age range of 5 to 10 years.
- Use your tape measure, metre stick, or ruler to measure each of the following lengths on each of your test subjects:
- hip to sole of foot (cm)
- length of foot (cm)
- overall height (cm)
- length of hand (cm)
- head circumference at forehead (cm)
- shoulder to longest finger (cm)
- Record all these measurements in the observation charts provided.
- Create a bar graph using the data collected by placing the average skeletal measurements on the x-axis and distance (cm) on the y-axis.
- Conclude by answering the related lab inquiry questions.
Observation Chart #1
Measurements of Various Body Regions of MALE Subjects
(all measurements in centimetres)
| Name of Subject | Age (years) |
Hip to Foot (cm) |
Length of Foot (cm) |
Overall Height (cm) |
Length of Hand (cm) |
Head Circumference (cm) |
Shoulder to Longest Finger (cm) |
| Average |
Click Here for a printable version of this chart.
Observation Chart #2
Measurements of Various Body Regions of FEMALE Subjects
(all measurements in centimetres)
| Name of Subject | Age (years) |
Hip to Foot (cm) |
Length of Foot (cm) |
Overall Height (cm) |
Length of Hand (cm) |
Head Circumference (cm) |
Shoulder to Longest Finger (cm) |
| Average |
Click Here for a printable version of this chart.
Graph Paper
Click Here for a printable version of this graph paper.
Lab Inquiry Questions:
-
What specific body regions had similar measurement averages on both male and female test subjects?
Read Answer -
What specific body regions had different measurement averages on both male and female test subjects?
Read Answer
The student will…
- recognize that in the field of forensic anthropology information about the victim of a crime and the nature of the crime itself is determined from unknown skeletal remains
- understand that a forensic anthropologist attempts to determine the following information from unknown skeletal remains: whether the remains are human or non-human, number of individuals found, time of death, sex of individual(s), ancestry of individual(s), stature of individual(s), and cause of death
- describe some of the basic skeletal differences between human and animal bones (such as ribs and upper and lower limbs)
- state some of the basic skeletal differences between humans from various ancestries or races (such as Negroid, Caucasoid, Mongoloid)
- identify some of the basic skeletal differences between female and male remains
- perform a research study that compares the size and length of various bones in males and females
Most likely/common answer:
- The shoulder-longest finger and head circumference measurements tend to be similar between males and females. (Other answers are acceptable if supported by data in observation charts).
Most likely/common answer:
- The foot length, overall height, and length of hand measurements tend to vary between males and females. Typically, males are taller and have longer hands and feet. (Other answers are acceptable if supported by data in observation charts).