Re: AAT and swimming
loopy (lmm5@cornell.edu)
12 Dec 1994 05:15:43 GMT
In article <xi9VOBf.patdooley@delphi.com>, Pat Dooley
<patdooley@delphi.com> wrote:
> We all know that you candetermine race based on skeletal evidence. The
> question is whether the reconstruction of the nose by forensic scientists
> is based on evidence specific to the nose or on other evidence.
Specific to the nose. You can tell whether a nose is flat or protruding by
looking at the bones alone -- no cartilage is needed.
>For example,
> if the skull suggests Asian then the scientist isn't going to reconstruct
> a non-Asian nose.
My advisor has done just that. In a case he had last year, the person was
of mixed race. She had flat nose, mixed with other features that were more
caucasoid; and the reconstruction my advisor made reflected this. There was
no cartilage present.
> When you start looking at ancient fossils you really
> don't have much to work with except a hole in the skull. The cartilidge
> and bone fragments that a forensic scientist might use are likely not
> to have been preserved.
When a forensic anthropologist is called in, it's usually because there's
nothing but bones left.
Lucie
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L.Melahn, lmm5@cornell.edu MYN GLAS LOOPT RAS
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