Exhumed Bones
	© R.C.M.P./G.R.C.

Forensic Anthropology is the study of bones or other human remains. The forensic anthropologist can determine if bones/body parts are human or non-human, how long they have been there, the cause and manner of death, the age, the "race", the sex and the physical characteristics of an individual. All of this can be done by careful examination of the remaining bones, tissue and other items that may be found at the crime scene. The leaves under a body or the pollen on the clothes may indicate that a body was buried at a certain time of year. If the pollen is from a distant area, the type of pollen may be important to investigators. Forensic science also uses anthropology to determine the cause of death from remains. The remains may be severely degraded leaving only a few bones. The forensic anthropologist and his/her team must be very careful in collecting any remains, as even the smallest bone fragment may show the cause of death. For example, if a rib bone is chipped and the pattern on the bone matches the toolmarks of a suspect's knife, this evidence may be incriminating.