Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
13
Bone
and Dental Hist
ology
Lindsay H. Trammell, Anne M. Kroman
INTRODUCTION
Biological anthropologists are constantly tasked with studying and identifying
unknown human remains from modern, historic, and prehistoric contexts. In forensic
circumstances, for example, the anthropologist is pivotal in the development of a biolog-
ical profile from which a positive identification may be established. This profile includes
age-at-death, sex, stature, and ancestry estimation from the remains, as discussed exten-
sively in earlier chapters. Many of these estimations are based on gross morphological
methods (refer to Uhl [Chapter 3]; Moore [Chapter 4]; DiGangi and Hefner [Chapter 5];
and Moore and Ross [Chapter 6], this volume). The presence of multiple individuals,
along with confounding perimortem and postmortem circumstances, can make the analy-
sis more difficult.
Successful application of the biological profile employs a variety of traditional methods.
A key disadvantage is the necessity of near complete remains and proper preservation of
target elements to make reliable estimations. Instances where traditional gross odontoskele-
tal features are not present force anthropologists to rely on bone or dental histology.
Bone histomorphology,
1
or the structure of bone tissue at the microscopic level, has poten-
tial utility for numerous anthropological disciplines. Histological studies have led to devel-
opments in ascertaining species identification, assessing age, analyzing trauma in peri- and
postmortem environments, and understanding certain pathological conditions (
Bell, 1990;
Martin, 1991; Ericksen et al., 1994; Pfeiffer, 2000; Crowder and Stout, 2012
). Quantitative
bone histology is most commonly utilized in estimating age-at-death and has been
employed by researchers since as early as 1911 when Balthazard and Lebrun produced the
first written report in this area.
These applications will be discussed later in the chapter. To understand how to utilize
bone histology as a research tool, it is first necessary to appreciate the basics of bone biology.
We will provide a basic review below; however, the aspiring histologist should become inti-
mately familiar with bone biology. Therefore, we recommend the following texts as a starting
1
All bolded terms are defined in the glossary at the end of this volume.
