Experiment 9.1: Forensic Anthropology:
The Measurable You
Anthropology uses a series of measurements that express quantitatively the dimensions
and variability of the human body and skeleton.
Biological Anthropology may lay claim to mthe
measurement of bones as the basic tool of the field, but it has a long tradition of use in forensic
Although the measurements taken in this lab are performed on a living body, the
significance and importance of somatometry, cephalometry, craniometry and osteometry in the
identification of human remains is being developed, as is the forensic anthropology in general.
Despite the limited forensic science methods available at the time,
investigators were able to gain a general physical description of Jack the
Ripper from alleged eyewitness accounts. The serial killer was believed to
be a white male, between 20 and 40 years of age, well dressed, average or
below average height, and possibly a foreigner. Through examination of
the victims’ wounds, they concluded that he was right-handed and did
have some medical expertise. Since he claimed his victims on the weekend
in the early morning hours, it was believed that he worked a regular job
and that he was single (he could stay out all night without being
The objective of this laboratory is to determine several physical anthropological indices
based on body measurements.
Taxonomy refers to us as
species with identifiable traits, and yet, no two
individuals are probably exactly alike in all their
dimensions, even genetically identical twins differ in
During a lifetime of development,
outside influences will alter the body in varying degrees.
Health, genetics, disease, diet, and geography can all
alter the skeletal proportions of the human body.
Having a means of giving quantitative values to the
body, or more specifically the skeleton, allows these
variations to be identified, studied, and used by
The use measurements in the field of forensic
science and medicine dates back to 1882 when Alphonse
Bertillon invented a system of criminal identification
based on bone and body feature measurements.
Anthropometry: Measurable You
Copyright James T. Spencer 2004
Vitruvian man by Da Vinci.