The main goal of Forensic Anthropology is to identify unknown individuals using the information that we gather from their skeletons. Bones can tell us many things about a person and the first pieces of information that the expert tries to gather are ancestry, age, stature and sex. With this information, we build what we call the “biological profile” of a specific individual and try to identify him/her.
This session will focus on how we can understand if the skeleton is male or female. This is done through the study of several bones, like the pelvis. You will learn what characteristics we use to estimate the biological sex and how to use those characteristics to draw a conclusion.
Dr Julieta Gomez Garcia-Donas – University of Dundee
Julieta Gómez García-Donas is a lecturer at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) in the School of Science and Engineering at the University of Dundee. Before coming to Dundee, she studied at the University of Edinburgh and worked at the University of Kent (Canterbury). In Dundee, she is involved in teaching and supervising students working on research projects related to Forensic Anthropology focusing on the identification of unknown individuals through the information gathered from the skeleton.
Francis Crick and James Watson are credited with discovering the double helix structure of DNA – but was it really them who discovered it? Rosalind Franklin was carrying out this work years before, as well as Florence Bell. Learn more about this story via this animated video from The University of St. Andrews.
Are you up for the challenge of becoming a DNA detective? If the answer is yes, then first you must undertake 4 challenges, learning all about your DNA to show that you’ve got what it takes.
Using the Living Laboratories DNA detective guide, you will discover what your DNA is, where it is stored and how its code works. Then take on the final challenge of helping the doctors uncover the DNA code to help them understand what treatment people might need when they are sick.
This idea of using your DNA to help find a treatment that is right for you is called precision medicine. Precision Medicine is what researchers work on at the University of Glasgow Living Laboratory.
We’re all different from one another whether it is through our DNA, our fingerprints or other physical features. Forensic scientists use these physical differences to try and identify people. We can use different parts of the body to do this. For example, from a person’s hands, we can look at their fingerprints or their knuckle creases for similarities and differences.
Download the resources below, developed by the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee, to learn all about the uniqueness of your fingerprints and how they are used in crime scene investigation. Try out the activities to understand more about your own fingerprints.
Why do we get goosebumps and why do we have a tailbone but no tail? In this video you’ll learn why we have these parts of our body which don’t serve us any purpose. Discover the tail we have at an early point in our lives as well as evidence of a third eyelid! Find out about some animals we share these interesting parts of our body with and why they need them for survival.
Learn about our characteristics, such as eye colour and height, and how they are inherited. Explore the genetic code of characteristics by combining genes to make a fictional animal, the Reebop!
What can we tell about a person from a skeleton? What can footwear marks tell us about the shoe size and height of the person wearing the shoes? Developed by Forensic Anthropologists and Forensic Scientists at Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee, this fantastic set of resources allows you to investigate the similarities and differences between individuals.
This activity is suitable for a class or group to work through and involves identifying the bones within a human skeleton and taking footwear marks and comparing them with each other. It is suitable for all primary school age children.
Our fingerprints are so unique – there’s no two sets the same! They’re so unique they can be used to identify people, and are a vital part of forensic science. Learn how to make your own dusting powder to identify the fingerprints of someone at home! You’ll need an old CD/DVD (or any object with a non porous surface), a big fluffy brush (a make up brush or paintbrush), cornflour, sellotape, scissors, and paper in a contrasting colour to your powder.
What is DNA? Where do you find it? In this experiment to try at home, Sabah will help you answer those questions and show you how you can extract strings of DNA from fruit. You’ll need: a re-sealable plastic bag, strawberries/bananas (fresh or frozen), washing up liquid, water, plastic cups, a coffee filter or sieve, a clear spirit like white rum or vodka or gin that has been chilled in the freezer for at least 1 hour, a spoon or coffee stirrer. You will need adult permission and supervision.
