10/14/201 Syllabus for ASM 275: Forensic Anthropology (2018
8 Fall - B)
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ASM 275: Forensic
Anthropology
Course and Faculty Information
Course Description: Discusses the role of the forensic anthropologist in medico-legal investigations
involving skeletonized human remains. Includes forensic recovery techniques, identification of decedents
through skeletal and dental analysis, and reconstructing the crime scene through analysis of trauma
patterns. Covers the legal aspects of forensic practice and considers historical case studies and the
contributions forensic anthropologists make to mass disaster investigations and human rights abuses.
Credits: 4 Credit Hours, this class counts toward the CLAS Science and Society requirement as well as an
SB or SG general studies designation.
Prerequisites: None
Instructor: Christopher Stojanowski, PhD
Contact Info: (mailto:)
(480) 727-0768
Office Hours: By appointment
Teaching Assistant: Patrick Fahey
Office: SHESC 155
Phone: (614) 634-8771
Email address:
Office hours: by email appointment
Course Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify the different scales of data used in science and measurement
https://asu.instructure.com/courses/2076/ 1/1
,10/14/201 Syllabus for ASM 275: Forensic Anthropology (2018
8 2. Identify Fall - B)
sources of error in forensic science
3. Distinguish accuracy and precision and apply these concepts to forensic data sets
https://asu.instructure.com/courses/2076/ 2/1
, 10/14/201 Syllabus for ASM 275: Forensic Anthropology (2018
8 Fall - B)
4. Visually identify the bones of the human skeleton and describe basic anatomical terminology
5. Describe the role of the forensic anthropologist in crime scene investigations
6. Outline the methods of forensic body recovery
7. Estimate time since death using multiproxy indicators
8. Define the biological profile and visually assess skeletal criteria for the major components of the
profile, which include age, sex, ancestry, and stature
9. Evaluate forensic methods of estimating the biological profile with respect to current rules of
evidence and the Daubert standards
10. Document the sources of variation in the human skeleton and how they are useful in forensic
casework
11. Describe the nuances surrounding ancestry assessment in forensic contexts, and in particular
define “race” and debate whether or not the human species has racial characteristics
12. Differentiate the major types of trauma that impact bone based on visual indicators
13. Identify different types of postmortem body alterations, including natural and intentional
14. Describe the techniques used for establishing a positive identification
15. Debate the benefits and weaknesses of forensic odontology, in particular, bite mark analysis
16. Define the role of the forensic anthropologist in recreating activities at a crime scene
17. Differentiate cause and manner of death
18. Evaluate how forensic anthropologists contribute to human rights investigations
19. Debate the ethics of biohistorical research projects
Textbooks
Required
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology Lab Manual, Stojanowski, ISBN: 9781773303857, Publisher:
Tophat. https://app.tophat.com/e/037705 (https://app.tophat.com/e/037705)
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url? u=https-3A
app.tophat.com_e_820915&d=DwMFAw&c=l45AxH-
kUV29SRQusp9vYR0n1GycN4_2jInuKy6zbqQ&r=2GbXnaZ1EmgN30R_u3KPJoo0h1Wy39QGUkgHdp9rmtM&m=Jq_YUgYtX
- reC_vs-nMQschq3KdLyvIg0-5nTOwmBkI&s=XPXSq9VTcO6x6vNX7zutiLjFmgbUYeYjc4UoGdKwKjs&e=) JOIN CODE:
037705
Note: this is a required purchase for this course because the labs are done online through the Tophat
platform. You only need to purchase the online manual, you do NOT need to purchase the semester
membership, which is for in-class quizzes and attendance.
The book can also be purchased directly from the ASU bookstore.
NOTE: This is an online lab manual/text. Between this and the lectures you will learn everything you need to
do well in this class.
Recommended
Some students may prefer a hard copy of a printed textbook. I do not assign a text in this class because
the relevant content is covered in the lectures and online manual listed above. However, I have
provided a list of optional texts and placed copies of some of these on reserve in Hayden Library. There
are many forensic anthropology texts on the market. Most are very similar in content and cover the
same material as provided in the lectures. If you feel you need a full written text to learn the material
please consider these in the order they are presented below. For each of the six optional texts listed the
https://asu.instructure.com/courses/2076/ 3/1
8 Fall - B)
SU H om e M y AS U Map & Locations Contact Us
C o &uSchools
Colleges r se Syl la b u s
http://www.asu.edu/) (https://my.asu.edu/) (http://www.asu.edu/colleges/) (http://www.asu.edu/map/) (http://www.asu.edu/contactasu/)
Jump to Today
To print: MAC users press "⌘" + "P". PC users press "CTRL" + "P".
ASM 275: Forensic
Anthropology
Course and Faculty Information
Course Description: Discusses the role of the forensic anthropologist in medico-legal investigations
involving skeletonized human remains. Includes forensic recovery techniques, identification of decedents
through skeletal and dental analysis, and reconstructing the crime scene through analysis of trauma
patterns. Covers the legal aspects of forensic practice and considers historical case studies and the
contributions forensic anthropologists make to mass disaster investigations and human rights abuses.
Credits: 4 Credit Hours, this class counts toward the CLAS Science and Society requirement as well as an
SB or SG general studies designation.
Prerequisites: None
Instructor: Christopher Stojanowski, PhD
Contact Info: (mailto:)
(480) 727-0768
Office Hours: By appointment
Teaching Assistant: Patrick Fahey
Office: SHESC 155
Phone: (614) 634-8771
Email address:
Office hours: by email appointment
Course Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify the different scales of data used in science and measurement
https://asu.instructure.com/courses/2076/ 1/1
,10/14/201 Syllabus for ASM 275: Forensic Anthropology (2018
8 2. Identify Fall - B)
sources of error in forensic science
3. Distinguish accuracy and precision and apply these concepts to forensic data sets
https://asu.instructure.com/courses/2076/ 2/1
, 10/14/201 Syllabus for ASM 275: Forensic Anthropology (2018
8 Fall - B)
4. Visually identify the bones of the human skeleton and describe basic anatomical terminology
5. Describe the role of the forensic anthropologist in crime scene investigations
6. Outline the methods of forensic body recovery
7. Estimate time since death using multiproxy indicators
8. Define the biological profile and visually assess skeletal criteria for the major components of the
profile, which include age, sex, ancestry, and stature
9. Evaluate forensic methods of estimating the biological profile with respect to current rules of
evidence and the Daubert standards
10. Document the sources of variation in the human skeleton and how they are useful in forensic
casework
11. Describe the nuances surrounding ancestry assessment in forensic contexts, and in particular
define “race” and debate whether or not the human species has racial characteristics
12. Differentiate the major types of trauma that impact bone based on visual indicators
13. Identify different types of postmortem body alterations, including natural and intentional
14. Describe the techniques used for establishing a positive identification
15. Debate the benefits and weaknesses of forensic odontology, in particular, bite mark analysis
16. Define the role of the forensic anthropologist in recreating activities at a crime scene
17. Differentiate cause and manner of death
18. Evaluate how forensic anthropologists contribute to human rights investigations
19. Debate the ethics of biohistorical research projects
Textbooks
Required
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology Lab Manual, Stojanowski, ISBN: 9781773303857, Publisher:
Tophat. https://app.tophat.com/e/037705 (https://app.tophat.com/e/037705)
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url? u=https-3A
app.tophat.com_e_820915&d=DwMFAw&c=l45AxH-
kUV29SRQusp9vYR0n1GycN4_2jInuKy6zbqQ&r=2GbXnaZ1EmgN30R_u3KPJoo0h1Wy39QGUkgHdp9rmtM&m=Jq_YUgYtX
- reC_vs-nMQschq3KdLyvIg0-5nTOwmBkI&s=XPXSq9VTcO6x6vNX7zutiLjFmgbUYeYjc4UoGdKwKjs&e=) JOIN CODE:
037705
Note: this is a required purchase for this course because the labs are done online through the Tophat
platform. You only need to purchase the online manual, you do NOT need to purchase the semester
membership, which is for in-class quizzes and attendance.
The book can also be purchased directly from the ASU bookstore.
NOTE: This is an online lab manual/text. Between this and the lectures you will learn everything you need to
do well in this class.
Recommended
Some students may prefer a hard copy of a printed textbook. I do not assign a text in this class because
the relevant content is covered in the lectures and online manual listed above. However, I have
provided a list of optional texts and placed copies of some of these on reserve in Hayden Library. There
are many forensic anthropology texts on the market. Most are very similar in content and cover the
same material as provided in the lectures. If you feel you need a full written text to learn the material
please consider these in the order they are presented below. For each of the six optional texts listed the
https://asu.instructure.com/courses/2076/ 3/1
