Bone Detectives

Collena Damin, Carly Kirk, Mallory Richards,

Danielle Dixon, Jane Wedding, & Brooklyn Knight

Introduction

The bones were found August 28th, 2016 after a toxic waste
pond in Owensboro, Kentucky was drained that morning.
All flesh had been removed and most of the bones had been
disintegrated due to the acidity, leaving only the skull and
mandible, the pelvis, femur, and the humerus.
A team of highly trained forensic anthropologist were called
together to identify the bones.
With the little amount of bones left, the forensic
anthropologists were able to determine height, age, sex, and
ethnicity.

Sex Determination

All of the findings from the pelvis pointed to the skeleton

being female.
All measurements of the skull and all pointed to female
except for the nuchal crest and external occipital
protuberance.
The femur proved to be female using the vertical diameter of
the femoral head, bicondylar width, and maximum length.
The transverse diameter of humeral head, vertical diameter
of humeral head, maximum length, and the epicondylar
width were all measured on the humerus and proved our
skeleton to be female.
Final Conclusion: female

Race Determination

On the skull, the nasal index, nasal spine, nasal width/height,

nasal silling, prognathism, and the shape of the orbital
openings were measured, and all indicated the skeleton to be
Asian except for the nasal index and prognathism.

On the femur, if fingers could fit under its curvature, it is

white, if not, it is black. Some fingers could fit and some
couldnt.

Final Conclusion: Mongoloid (Asian)

Height Determination

Determined using the long bones (femur - 3 cm long;

humerus - 21 cm long).

Formulas were given to calculate height using the femur

and humerus, they were different depending on race and
sex .

The formulas gave a range of what the height of the

skeleton could be, while the range for the average asian
female was used in yet another formula (sex and race were
already determined at this point).

The minimum and maximum value of the range from the

Age Determination

Descriptions of each bones were given on how they should

appear at each age.

Each description for a 20-25 year old applied to the bones in

skeleton C.

Final Conclusion: 20-25 years old

Further Analysis
Facial Reconstruction- The technique of facial reconstruction could be used in
this case by having an artist create a clay model of what the face of the skeleton may
have looked like. This will help to identify who the skeleton belonged to by showing
other people the model in hopes of finding someone that may recognize a missing or
deceased person that looks like it. From this technique, it can learn how skin and
muscle are arranged on the human skull based on its particular shape and how details
of the skull can impact the appearance of a person.

Final Results

20-25 years old

Asian

Female

43 Tall