ABSTRACT
Unappreciated biases that can be brought to bear on an investigation by external parties often are minimized by the hypothesis testing of the forensic anthropological analysis. This chapter aims to demonstrate the forensic anthropologists role during this type of hypothesis testing. Patterns pervade case work, and their recognition is essential for the accurate interpretation of osteological remains. Whether due to the vagaries of casework or to differences in the sensitivity and training of forensic pathologists, anthropologists often must formulate a biological profile or interpret osteological trauma based on partial skeletons, isolated bones, or even bone fragments. Reconstruction and rearticulation also demonstrated that the observed relationships between thermal alteration and lines of fracture could be divided into several categories. The forensic anthropology team was asked to attend the autopsy and provide a biological profile and trauma assessment.
