Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
that, while not meant to be comprehensive, serves as an excellent point of departure for further
exploration by the student. A sampling of the major references students should be familiar
with to do a project in each area is included, enabling the interested reader to begin their
own search of the literature. Overviews are given of each topic while tying the presented infor-
mation into the details of research projects utilizing a “how-to” approach. For instance, each
chapter addresses what the types of questions are for each subject (i.e. what we seek to ask via
scientific methods), what the existent challenges are, the different types of research modalities
that exist, and key points to consider when initiating and executing projects in each area.
Further, each chapter includes one or more case studies that vary in their design. Some
focus on the logistics behind developing a question (e.g., Hammerl, Chapter 10; DiGangi
and Moore, Chapter 2); others on method and critical analysis of results (e.g., Smith,
Chapter 7); and yet others on strict application of methods to solve a specific problem
(e.g., Cabana et al., Chapter 16; Trammell and Kroman, Chapter 8). We intentionally asked
each contributor to create the case studies as they saw fit, as when taken together the entire
volume then gives the reader a broad overview and understanding of each step of the scien-
tific process from logistical considerations to technical aspects.
Part I: Introduction to Research in Skeletal Biology
Part I: Introduction to Research in Skeletal Biology includes two chapters that define the topic
and purpose of the topic. Following the current chapter, Chapter 2 introduces the scientific
method and presents the theory and practice behind how it applies to skeletal biology. It
provides an overview of the philosophy behind science and the scientific method, exploring
how each step of the scientific method occurs in skeletal biology research. It additionally
includes a section outlining the goals of science and its limitations. The second portion of
the chapter is dedicated to specifically examining how research ideas are generated and
the logistics that must be considered (including ethical considerations), which are vital topics
for students embarking on their first project.
Part II: Research on Aspects of the Biological Profile
Part II: Research on Aspects of the Biological Profile includes nine chapters, all of which cover
some aspect of what is known as the “biological profile”
d
specific characteristics of an indi-
vidual that we can identify or estimate from bone. This section begins with four chapters on
the traditional four components of the biological profile: age-at-death, sex, ancestry, and
stature estimation.
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However, there are multiple additional areas of analysis that can
contribute information about the individual and/or their population. Demography, for
example, fits into this section because it addresses population-wide questions and advanced
demographic analyses can more accurately estimate aspects of the traditional biological
profile. In addition, while taphonomy is relegated to what happened to an individual after
death, taphonomic processes can confound or destroy indicators used in biological profile
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While some skeletal biologists may order the biological profile differently, we have chosen this
arrangement because you must know if the individual is a juvenile or adult before proceeding with the
subsequent analyses.
