Human Skeleton

Catalog description

Osteology is the study of the skeleton. This course is designed to teach the anatomy of the human skeleton and applications of this anatomy to the analysis of human skeletal remains from both archaeological and forensic contexts. It involves intensive hands-on study of human skeletal remains. Various parts of the skeleton and general skeletal biology are treated from comparative and evolutionary perspectives. The course is organized so that it includes both lecture and laboratory components. Lecture topics will include discussions of human skeletal anatomy, bone growth and development, osteometry, ethics, pathology, trauma, the biological profile, and applied uses of osteological data. The laboratory component will emphasize osteological identification of adult and subadult remains, osteometry, and methods used to estimate sex, age, ancestry, and stature from human skeletal remains. Biological anthro course. Prerequisite: ANTH 168 desired but not required and junior or senior status preferred.