A Companion to Forensic Anthropology presents the most comprehensive assessment of the philosophy, goals, and practice of forensic anthropology currently available, with chapters by renowned international scholars and experts. Presents the most comprehensive assessment of the philosophy, goals, and practice of forensic anthropology available, with chapters by a wide range of renowned international scholars and experts. Highlights the latest advances in forensic anthropology research, as well as the most effective practices and techniques used by professional forensic anthropologists in the field. Illustrates the development of skeletal biological profiles and offers important new evidence on statistical validation of these analytical methods. Evaluates the goals and methods of forensic archaeology, including the preservation of context at surface-scattered remains, buried bodies and fatal fire scenes, and recovery and identification issues related to large-scale mass disaster scenes and mass grave excavation.

Table of Contents

• Notes on Contributors
• About This Book
• Acknowledgments
• Part I Introduction and Brief History of Forensic Anthropology
• 1 Forensic Anthropology: Embracing the New Paradigm - Dennis C. Dirkmaat and Luis L. Cabo
• Part II Recovery of Human Remains from Outdoor Contexts
• Introduction to Part II - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 2 Documenting Context at the Outdoor Crime Scene: Why Bother? - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 3 Determining the Forensic Significance of Skeletal Remains - John J. Schultz
• 4 The Application of Ground-Penetrating Radar for Forensic Grave Detection - John J. Schultz
• 5 Crime Scene Perspective: Collecting Evidence in the Context of the Criminal Incident - Michael J. Hochrein
• 6 The Role of Forensic Anthropology in the Recovery and Interpretation of the Fatal-Fire Victim - Dennis C. Dirkmaat, Gregory O. Olson, Alexandra R. Klales, and Sara Getz
• 7 Forensic Anthropology at the Mass Fatality Incident (Commercial Airliner) Crash Scene - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 8 Mass Graves and Human Rights: Latest Developments, Methods, and Lessons Learned - Hugh H. Tuller
• 9 Archaeology, Mass Graves, and Resolving Commingling Issues through Spatial Analysis - Luis L. Cabo, Dennis C. Dirkmaat, James M. Adovasio, and Vicente C. Rozas
• Part III Developments in Forensic Osteology
• Introduction to Part III - Luis L. Cabo
• 10 Developments in Forensic Anthropology: Age-at-Death Estimation - Desina R. Gipson, Rebecca S. Overbury, and Luis L. Cabo
• 11 Skeletal Age Estimation: Where We Are and Where We Should Go - George R. Milner and Jesper L. Boldsen
• 12 Adult Sex Determination: Methods and Application - Heather M. Garvin
• 13 Sexual Dimorphism: Interpreting Sex Markers - Luis L. Cabo, Ciarn P. Brewster, and Juan Luengo Azpiazu
• 14 Morphoscopic Traits and the Assessment of Ancestry - Joseph T. Hefner, Stephen D. Ousley, and Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 15 Fordisc 3 and Statistical Methods for Estimating Sex and Ancestry - Stephen D. Ousley and Richard L. Jantz
• 16 Estimating Stature - Stephen D. Ousley
• Part IV Developments in Human Skeletal Trauma Analysis
• Introduction to Part IV - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 17 Interpreting Traumatic Injury to Bone in Medicolegal Investigations - Steven A. Symes, Ericka N. L Abb, Erin N. Chapman, Ivana Wolff, and Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 18 The Biomechanics of Gunshot Trauma to Bone: Research Considerations within the Present Judicial Climate - Hugh E. Berryman, Alicja K. Lanfear, and Natalie R. Shirley
• 19 Developments in Skeletal Trauma: Blunt-Force Trauma - Nicholas V. Passalacqua and Todd W. Fenton
• Part V Advances in Human Identification
• Introduction to Part V - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 20 Advances in the Anthropological Analysis of Cremated Remains - Traci L. Van Deest, Michael W. Warren, and Katelyn L. Bolhofner
• 21 Human Identification Using Skull-Photo Superimposition and Forensic Image Comparison - Norman J. Sauer, Amy R. Michael, and Todd W. Fenton
• 22 DNA Analysis and the Classic Goal of Forensic Anthropology - Luis L. Cabo
• 23 DNA Identification and Forensic Anthropology: Developments in DNA Collection, Analysis, and Technology - David Boyer
• Part VI Forensic Taphonomy
• Introduction to Part VI - Dennis C. Dirkmaat and Nicholas V. Passalacqua
• 24 Current Research in Forensic Taphonomy - Marcella H. Sorg, William D. Haglund, and Jamie A. Wren
• 25 The Use of Taphonomy in Forensic Anthropology: Past Trends and Future Prospects - Mark O. Beary and R. Lee Lyman
• Part VII Forensic Anthropology Beyond Academia
• Introduction to Part VII - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 26 Forensic Anthropologists in Medical Examiner's and Coroner's Offices: A History - Hugh E. Berryman and Alicja K. Lanfear
• 27 Forensic Anthropology at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner - Christopher W. Rainwater, Christian Crowder, Kristen M. Hartnett, Jeannette S. Fridie, Benjamin J. Figura, Jennifer Godbold, Scott C. Warnasch, and Bradley J. Adams
• 28 The Many Hats of a Recovery Leader: Perspectives on Planning and Executing Worldwide Forensic Investigations and Recoveries at the JPAC Central Identification Laboratory - Paul D. Emanovsky and William R. Belcher
• Part VIII Forensic Anthropology Outside North America
• Introduction to Part VIII - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 29 European Perspectives and the Role of the Forensic Archaeologist in the UK - Nicholas Mrquez-Grant, Stephen Litherland, and Julie Roberts
• 30 The Establishment and Advancement of Forensic Anthropology in South Africa - Ericka N. L Abb and Maryna Steyn
• 31 The Application of Forensic Anthropology to the Investigation of Cases of Political Violence - Luis Fondebrider
• Part IX Ethics, Overview, and the Future of Forensic Anthropology
• Introduction to Part IX - Dennis C. Dirkmaat
• 32 The Pervasiveness of Daubert - Stephen D. Ousley and R. Eric Hollinger
• 33 Ethics in Forensic Anthropology - Diane L. France
• 34 An “Outsider” Look at Forensic Anthropology - James M. Adovasio