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Osteopathological analysis of the Caddoan skeletal remains from the Kaufman-Williams site (41RR16), Red River County, Texas, suggests that the most serious problems afflicting the people (as reflected in their re mains) were degenerative conditions, such as osteo phytosis and osteoarthritis, and dental wear and disease. As would be expected, these problems became more severe with increasing age. With the exception of one congenital hip dislocation, the congenital and developmental anomalies noted on the skeletal material, although quite numerous, would have caused little or no problem for the individuals who had them. Several traumatic lesions occurred in the population; more were noted on male than on female skeletons. The only neoplasms observed were benign and consisted princi pally of button osteomas. Eight probable cases of iron deficiency anemia were noted. Two subadults were af flicted with porotic hyperostosis; six skeletons exhibited cribra orbitalia. Comparison with osteopathological data from other Caddoan sites suggests a fairly high level of adaptive efficiency among the Caddo Indians.

A semi-round hole in the frontal region of an old human skull is labeled "bullet hole above left eye." The meager historical information available implies that the skull may be white. Grossly and in radiographs the ab normality is not typical of the defect usually produced by a solid projectile injury. The radiographic image is interpreted as compatible with trephination, commen surate with the defect that might result from surgical trephine instruments in use during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Racial discriminate function analysis results differ from available information, and radiological and anthropological interpretations are dissimilar. Although the exact causative mechanism for this interesting and unusual abnormality is conjectural, it is worthy of documentation.

Three probable examples of osteochondritis dissecans from the northern and southern Great Plains are discussed. The distal femora from the skeleton of a male from the Kaufman-Williams site, 41RR16,...

A review of publications over the last ten years of methods in the field of physical anthropology for determining age, sex, race and stature of human skeletal material is presented. Comparisons are made with the types of papers published in the previous ten years (1958-1968) in six categories: (1) Visual examination of bones (2) Anthropometric measurements of bones (3) Anthropometric measurements with subsequent use of statistics in the form of discriminate function analyses (4) Time and sequence of eruption of the teeth (5) X-ray examination of the internal structure of bone sections (6) Microscopic examination of the internal structure of bone.

During the excavation of Arikara burials which were 130 to 160 years old, the author discovered the chitinous exuvia of fly pupae with many of the burials. The pupae of these scavenger flies seasonally date the burials from late March to mid-October, corresponding to the year's arrival and disappearance of these flies in South Dakota.

(1961). A Preliminary Survey of Human Skeletal Material From Archaeological Sites in Nebraska. Plains Anthropologist: Vol. 6, No. 12, pp. 108-109.

Records of 111 forensic anthropology cases from Tennessee received from September 1971 through September 1981 are analyzed. Thirty percent of the cases in which no identification existed when the skeleton arrived were positively identified and an additional "probable" identification was made in 11%. The skull or skull bones were the most common element recovered followed by femora, mandibles, and innominates, in that order. The sternum was the single major postcranial bone least likely to be recovered. January has been the single busiest month for the discovery of skeletal remains in Tennessee, and there are almost twice as many fire-related discoveries between September and February. In the first half of the decade, from 1971 through 1978, there were 39 cases with 72 cases occurring from 1977 through 1981. This increase is probably because of efforts to educate students at the University of Tennessee as well as lectures to law enforcement and citizens' groups.

The skulls of two Japanese soldiers brought back to the United States following World War II suggest that more may be appearing in forensic science cases. Both cases are cranial vaults without faces or lower jaws. One was a fighter pilot. Both skulls have secondary characteristics of “dry house dust” adhering to the bone and have, to some degree, been painted.

This research explored the feasibility of using the degradation rate of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in human rib bone to determine the time interval since death. Postmortem human rib samples were surface sterilized and incubated under sterile conditions in either high or low humidity conditions at room temperature for a period of weeks. At selected times, portions of the bone were cut away, and the DNA from these samples was extracted and subjected to strand separating gel electrophoresis. The DNAs in the gels were transferred to a nylon membrane, preserving their relative positions as in the gel, and probed with radioactive total genomic human DNA. Autoradiograms produced were scanned and digitized. When the samples were incubated under identical conditions, the degradation rate of DNA in samples from different individuals appeared very similar. The DNA degradation rate may vary with temperature and humidity more than it varies between individuals.

This is the first report on an ongoing study conducted to collect data on the specific insects that are found in association with decaying human cadavers. Four nude unembalmed human cadavers were each placed, at various times of the year, within a decay research facility located in open wooded area. Data were collected daily throughout the entire decay cycle on the various insect populations that frequented each cadaver. Analysis of the data shows that there is a direct correlation between the rate of decay and the succession of insect families and species found in association with a decaying cadaver. Application of this entomological information can contribute to a more accurate estimation of “time since death” of an individual.

This is the second report on an ongoing study conducted to collect data on the decompositional rates of human cadavers and the first on buried cadavers. Six unembalmed human cadavers were buried separately in unlined trenches of various depths and allowed to naturally decompose for a time period ranging from a month to a year. During the period of burial, data were collected daily on the air, soil, and cadaver temperature at each burial site. At the end of each specified burial period the cadavers were exhumed and examined for the degree of decomposition which had taken place as well as changes in the soil pH, surface vegetation, and carrion insect activity. Analysis of the data shows that the decomposition rate of buried cadavers is highly dependent on the depth of burial and environmental temperatures. The depth at which the cadaver was buried also directly affected the degree of soil and vegetational changes as well as access by carrion insects. Application of this information can contribute to a more accurate estimation of time since death of a buried corpse and may aid in the location of such corpses.

The analysis of asymmetry of the arm long bones and of the cranial jugular foramen has been used to suggest handedness in humans. However, because of the unavailability of documented skeletal material, neither criterion has been systematically tested. If both criteria are associated with handedness, they should also be intercorrelated within individuals. Data were collected from skeletal material of 125 males and 57 females to test whether this intercorrelation exists. According to Chi-square analysis, no statistically significant association was identified. After examining several hypotheses, it was concluded that until further substantiation, neither criterion is related to handedness to a degree appropriate for forensic science identification from skeletal remains.

(1964). The Variation In Physical Types Of The Prehistoric Plains Indians. Plains Anthropologist: Vol. 9, No. 24, pp. 65-65.

In February, 1961, Dr. Walter W. Dalquest submitted a fragmentary human calvarium (a skull without its mandible, Oetteking 1957:1) to the senior author for identification. In the previous paper, Dalquest has described the circumstances under which the specimen was found and has presented an analysis of the associated faunal remains. Partial reconstruction had been attempted before shipment to us. Because of the nature of the adhesive and the presence of soil between the fracture lines, it was necessary to dissolve the old glue and to wash the fragments in order to reconstruct the specimen for measurement. Analysis of the specimen indicates: Sex: Male

In 1964 the senior author was informed by Thomas A. Witty, Jr., of the Kansas State Historical Society that there were five sites within areas in Kansas that were subject to destruction as the result of federally sponsored flood control projects. The sites were so widely scattered among three different counties that Witty could not effectively include them in his proposed excavations in 1965. Through the efforts of the senior author, representing the Department of Anthropology, a Memorandum of Agreement between the University of Kansas and the National Park Service was arranged as part of the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program in the Missouri Basin. Additional support for the investigation of one site was provided by the University of Kansas because it fell outside of an area authorized for National Park Service support. The senior author organized a mobile field party of seven men, including the junior author as supervisor. The latter carried out the field work in June and July of 1965 and, later, prepared a preliminary compilation of the field and laboratory data upon which the present joint report is based. The specimens are stored at the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. The sites investigated are as follows: Site County Project Funding Agency 14LY304 Lyon Upper Verdigris Watershed University of Kansas 14JF22 Jefferson Perry Reservoir National Park Service 14JF26 Jefferson Perry Reservoir National Park Service 14JF337 Jefferson Perry Reservoir National Park Service 14PH10 Phillips Kirwin Reservoir National Park Service