How to Find a Biological Profile With Forensic Anthropology

Excavate the entire area where bones are found. Carefully dig up the bones so that they do not fall apart while being removed from the ground. Depending on how long the bones have been in the ground, you might have to dig across a large area to find as many pieces as possible.

Note the geographic area in which the bones are found. Taking note of where material is located in helps determine what environmental factors have affected the body remains. The geographic area may also help the forensic scientist set up a base location for where the person is from.

Estimate a time of how long the bones have been in their location. For example, if the bones are found deep in soil in a humid climate, the remains could be heavily damaged by acid. The amount of damage could determine the length of time the bones were in the soil as well as how deep the bones are in the ground due to erosion.

Calculate the age of the bone by ruling out the time variable from the previous step. By removing soil erosion and other environmentally damaging aspects, you can measure the age of the specimen by seeing the natural degradation of calcium deposits in the bone. This gives you the specimen's age.

Classify the remains. This step includes investigating what the bone is or was, depending on its decay level. For the purposes of having an accurate view of the specimen, lay out the bones on a medical table in the shape and form of a human.

See if there were any traumas to the bones. Indications such as massive bone cuts or holes in the bone may determine the way the person died.

Measure the length of remains. Once the major tissue or bone has been classified, you can begin to measure the dimensions of this tissue. This is especially useful in bones. Knowing the bone and the bone length can help you determine the age of the person.

Determine the sex of the specimen. This can be determined from the bone specimen, especially from a pelvic bone.

Find individuation traits. Individuation traits are genetic or unique traits found in the bone. For example, one can find mitochondrial DNA in the bone to link the person to a general geographic region. Another aspect is the makeup of the bone tissue, which could determine the lifetime diet of the individual.