Anthropological Studies


Forensic Anthropology: Advancements in Conventional Field in New Millennium

Article Number: BQZ955784 Volume 06 | Issue 01 | April- 2023 ISSN: 2581-4966
28th Jan, 2023
25th Feb, 2023
20th Mar, 2023
27th Apr, 2023

Authors

Samiksha Nayyar, Ashi Yadav

Abstract

An overview of the function of forensic anthropology (FA) in the new millennium is provided in the following brief review. In this review paper author describe the role and novel developments of the area, with specific reference to the last five years, following an introduction that deals with the increasing definition of the discipline as well as the question of professionalism and training. Such advancements are covered in detail, with a distinction made between the function of research in forensic anthropology subfields that deal with human remains and subfields that deal with the living. It is important to note the developments and roadblocks that remain in the "human remains" arena in terms of determining species, postmortem intervals, sexing, aging, and attribution of ancestry. Standards in facial reconstruction and positive identification by bone morphology are required, and the anthropologist's expanding roles in spotting symptoms of trauma are also emphasized. Last but not least, the relatively new role of the forensic anthropologist in the field of identification of the living is described, despite the fact that research in this area is still underrepresented. These studies focus on the development of methods for recognizing faces (for example, in the case of crimes recorded by video surveillance systems), aging living people, or children depicted in pedo pornographic material). Keywords - Forensic Anthropology, Development, Recent Research, Identification, Human Remains

Introduction

It is crucial to define clearly what is meant by "forensic anthropology" before discussing the topic of recent research and breakthroughs in the field. Unfortunately, the phrase still conjures up images of sliding callipers and osteometric boards, which is an outdated image in the modern world. No matter who conducts anthropological techniques on human remains of forensic significance (a pathologist, an anthropologist, or a biologist), it must be acknowledged that forensic anthropology is a developing and diverse science, just like forensic pathology. One could even claim that it is the area of study that complements forensic pathology when it comes to human remains. The anthropologist must deal with the search and proper retrieval of the skeleton (using sub disciplines like forensic archaeology) as well as issues like identification and detection of signs of trauma which may lead to establish cause and manner of death in the same way that the pathologist deals with the human cadaver from the scene of the crime to determining time and cause of death. However, anthropological knowledge is increasingly needed in the identification and ageing of living people, in addition to its involvement in the study of the dead. All of this has been observed in the past few years when experts applied anthropological concepts to ageing juvenile offenders, identified bank robbers caught on camera, and determined whether alleged pedo pornographic victims were minors.

Since the definition of forensic anthropology is "the application of physical anthropology to the forensic context," it is obvious that the field is asked to address a range of issues that extends from human physiognomy to osteology, keeping in mind that the field is becoming more and more multidisciplinary and that working with other specialists is, in fact, essential (Cunha et al., 2006).

Consider the case of human skeletal remains. The scientific and forensic communities have realised that there is a gap when human remains are discovered in a forensic scenario. For example, most forensic pathologists lack an anthropological and osteological formation, and classical anthropologists may not be accustomed to working with human remains that still contain soft tissue or that are discovered in a contemporary criminal setting. If we exclude ethnographists, cultural anthropologists, and geneticists who study human variation (although even here, the disciplines occasionally overlap), physical anthropologists have long been regarded as specialists in human osteology (S. Black et al., 2000).

Therefore, the anthropologist's contribution to anything that comes from the forensic scenario "traditionally" deals with ageing, sexing, determining ancestry or race, stature, etc.; in other words, anything that is similar to what the anthropologist's task is when studying skeletal remains of ancient populations. Traditional anthropology, however, is insufficient in the forensic environment. Identification and cause of death are issues that forensic anthropologists must address. As a forensic discipline, forensic anthropology cannot be compared to forensic toxicology, forensic odontology, forensic botany, or forensic entomology. The body or specific body parts are all involved in these final few examples, or more generally, biological phenomena related to other sciences.

If we include the more recent uses of forensic anthropology, such as the identification of the living, the area of interest becomes even more. It may be thought of as a normal anthropological task to judge the similarity of two faces and identify the characteristics that would result in a positive identification that will hold up in court based on science; nevertheless, relatively few physical anthropologists are trained in the study of physiognomy (Cristina et al., 2000).

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