# Forensic Anthropology Forensic anthropology is an important applied branch of physical or biological anthropology that applies knowledge about the human skeleton, biological variation, anatomy, growth, and human identification to questions arising in legal and criminal investigations. It is mainly concerned with the examination of human skeletal remains to help establish the identity of an unknown person and to understand circumstances surrounding death. Forensic anthropologists generally work with skeletonized, badly decomposed, burned, fragmented, or otherwise unrecognizable human remains where ordinary methods of identification may be difficult. The importance of forensic anthropology comes from the fact that the human skeleton preserves many biological characteristics even after soft tissues have disappeared. Bones can provide information about age, sex, stature, ancestry-related biological variation, injuries, disease, and sometimes aspects of an individual's life history. This information can assist police, medical examiners, courts, and disaster-response teams in identifying victims and investigating deaths. Forensic anthropology developed from physical anthropology, anatomy, archaeology, and forensic medicine. Early anthropologists studied human skeletal variation primarily to understand human evolution and biological diversity. Over time, these methods became useful in legal investigations. The systematic study of skeletal remains now forms an important part of modern forensic science. Forensic anthropologists may examine remains recovered from crime scenes, mass graves, battlefields, natural disasters, accidents, or archaeological contexts when legal identification is required. One of the principal objectives of forensic anthropology is the construction of a biological profile of an unidentified individual. A biological profile generally includes an estimation of sex, age, stature, and population affinity or ancestry-related characteristics. These estimates do not necessarily provide a person's exact identity by themselves, but they considerably narrow the range of possible identities. The profile can then be compared with missing-person records and other evidence such as dental records, DNA, fingerprints, medical records, or personal belongings. Determination of sex is an important component of skeletal analysis. The pelvis is generally considered the most useful part of the skeleton for this purpose because its structure is strongly influenced by biological adaptations associated with reproduction. Features of the skull can also contribute to sex estimation. However, forensic anthropologists recognize that skeletal characteristics show variation, and therefore sex estimation is expressed in terms of probability rather than absolute certainty. The accuracy may also vary according to the completeness and preservation of the skeleton and the reference population used. Age estimation is another major responsibility. In children and adolescents, age can often be estimated relatively closely because the skeleton undergoes predictable processes of growth and development. Researchers examine the development and fusion of bones, including the long bones and other skeletal elements. In adults, age estimation becomes more difficult because skeletal changes are more variable. Researchers may examine changes in the pubic symphysis, auricular surface, ribs, teeth, and other structures. Therefore, an adult age estimate normally has a wider range than an estimate for a young individual. Stature estimation involves estimating the living height of an individual from skeletal measurements. Long bones, particularly the femur and tibia, are commonly used because their length has a