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and often collaborate when publishing. The works of William M. Bass have been
fundamental to this study. Human Osteology: A Laboratory and Field Manual (1995)
consists of line drawings for each skeletal element and diagnostic criteria for
differentiating between confusing components of the human skeleton. Also important to
this study is the chapter on differentiating between human and non-human bones as
well as the instructions on human osteometrics for each element that Bass has
included.
Tim D. White has published a second edition of Human Osteology (2000), which
is more expansive and detailed than the Bass book. However, White does not include
the osteometric guidelines. What White does contribute is a complete photographic
record of human specimens, with different views of each skeletal element and
differential and diagnostic criteria. White also details forensic anthropological
techniques of sexing a skeleton, estimating stature in an individual, and identifying
ancestry of skeletal remains. This information is important to both archaeologists and
forensic anthropologists when trying to identify an individual skeleton or collection of
human remains.
When it comes to the initial identification of skeletal remains as human or animal,
several forensic anthropology books have included chapters with helpful information.
Some of these books included Ubelaker (1992), Hunter (1996), Fairgrieve (1999) and
Goldberg (1982). Most of these works, however, call upon the long-standing expertise
of Douglas W. Owsley, currently of the Smithsonian Institution and T.D. Stewart, also of
the Smithsonian Institution.
Of particular interest to this study is a letter written by Owsley in November 1990,
to the editor of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association detailing the
facts of a 1990 Rockville, Maryland case in which a partially skeletonized foot was
brought to the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution. The foot was
originally taken to three different podiatrists in the area (Owsley, 1990) and though they
had determined it was not human, further investigation was needed. Owsley determined
that it was the hind foot of an American black bear. He also goes on to describe the
most notable differences between human and bear feet, such as the proportionate
narrowness of the bear’s calcanei (heel bones) and the reversal of size in the
metatarsals in a bear’s hands and feet when compared to human’s (Owsley, 1990).
Owsley has contributed to the forensic and osteologic sciences in other books and
articles as well.
Another important article was written in 1959, and published in the FBI Law
Enforcement Bulletin by Stewart. In the article, Stewart meticulously describes the
significant and less notable differences in the morphology, function and size of bear
hands and feet (paws) bones in comparison to human. Dr. Stewart advises, “Watch
your identification technique this year or your colleagues will be calling you ‘Barefoot’!”
and indicates that especially after bear-hunting season, “hands and feet without skin
and fingers or toes, but looking suspiciously human in shape, will turn up at a number of
police headquarters and laboratories,”(Stewart, 1959: 623).
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Stewart has contributed a multitude of scholarly articles and books. Twenty
years after the FBI article, Stewart published, “Essentials of Forensic Anthropology:
Especially” as developed in the United States. He includes a chapter on the “Human vs.
Animal Remains” question (Stewart, 1979). He also includes a detailed discussion on
the relevance of microscopic analysis and radiography when a bone is not identifiable
by other means. This is important in the event that morphological diagnostic criteria are
absent due to fragmentation.
Key Findings:
The Scapula
The bear scapula is rectangular with rounded edges (fig.1-2). Measurements of
maximum length and maximum breadth support that, with a more triangular shape, the
human scapula (139.1mm and 106.2mm) (fig.1-1) is smaller than the bear scapula
(162.8mm and 164.5mm). The length of the spine of the human scapula is also shorter
than the length of the spine of the bear scapula.
Figure 1: The human scapula (left) and the American black bear scapula (right)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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Table 2: American black bear scapula #15239 (Scapular Index = 101mm)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
The Humerus
The head of the bear humerus (fig.2-5 and fig.2-6) differs from the head human
humerus (fig.2-2 and fig. 2-4) in that it is located on what would be the anterior surface
of the human humerus. The shaft of the bear humerus appears to have a 900 twist
counter-clockwise from its anterior surface as compared to the human humerus, which
has its head on the medial surface. The maximum length of the human humerus is
longer than the maximum length of the bear humerus, 317mm compared to 248.2mm.
The Radiohumeral Index, which expresses the relative length of the forearm to the
upper arm shows that the human humerus is longer relative to the lower portion of the
arm, where as the bear humerus is relatively similar in length to the elements of the
lower arm. The Robusticity Index refers to the circumference size of the bone shaft and
shows that though the bear humerus is shorter, it is thicker or more robust. The human
humerus is significantly slimmer. The deltoid tuberosity of the bear humerus is in a more
proximal position to the head than it is on the human humerus. The shapes of the
proximal and distal ends of each humerus are very similar. The bear humerus (fig.2-5),
however, has a much larger and deeper olecranon fossa above the trochlea and
capitulum of the anterior surface than the human humerus (fig.2-1). The proximal end of
the bear humerus also has a less distinct neck before the lesser tubercle and greater
lipping at the inferior edge of the head.
Overall, the bear humerus is shorter and more robust than the human humerus, with an
inward twist in the shaft that would suggest the animal’s front feet angle inward to wards
each other.
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Table 3: Human humerus (Robusticity Index = 20mm)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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Figure 2: The human humerus (top) and the American black bear humerus
(bottom)
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styloid process than that of the human radius. However, the interosseous crest of the
human radius is more pronounced than the interosseous crest of the bear radius.
Table 5: Human radius (Radiohumeral Index = 77.5mm)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
The Ulna
The ulna of the human is longer than the ulna of the bear in maximum length,
237.5mm compared to 216.9mm. The bear ulna is more robust in the circumference of
the shaft and in the relative sizes of the distal and proximal ends. The articular surface,
the semi-lunar notch of the human ulna is significantly wider and has a straight, smooth
surface when compared to the semi-lunar notch of the bear ulna. The bear ulna,
however, has a larger radial grove for the articulation of the radius. As with the radius,
the interosseous crest of the human ulna is more pronounced than the interosseous
crest of the bear ulna.
Table 7: Human ulna
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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The Carpals
A bone in the proximal row of the bear fore paw, what is two separate bones in
the human hand are fused to form the naviculo-lunar. Also, the pisiform of the bear fore
paw is approximately three times as large as the human pisiform (Stewart, 1959).
The Metacarpals
When articulated, the first metacarpal in the bear fore paw, which would be
known as the thumb of a man, is not separated from the rest and does not have the
same range of motion (Stewart, 1959). The size of the bear metacarpals increases from
medial to lateral and the human metacarpals increase from lateral to medial, except the
thumb. The same can be said for the phalanges along with a more deeply grooved
distal end in the bear. The bear fore paw contains pairs of small sesimoid bones at the
distal ends of the metacarpals (Stewart, 1959). While human hands are known to
contain sesimoid bones on occasion, in is not common nor does it occur in the amount
per person as it does in the bear. The metacarpals of the bear fore paw also have a
more bulbous distal end with a raised ridge in the center, than that of the human
metacarpals. The longest finger in the bear is IV, while the longest finger in the human
is III (Stewart, 1959).
Figure 2: The human finger (III) (Fig.2-1) and the American black bear finger
(comparable)(Fig.2-2)
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The Sacrum
The human sacrum (fig.5-1 and fig.5-2) is longer than the bear sacrum (fig.5-3
and fig.5-4) in height and breadth. The Sacral Index (maximum anterior breadth x 100 /
maximum anterior height) of the human sacrum is 89.65mm, while the Sacral Index of
the bear sacrum is only 59.9mm. The human sacrum normally consists of five fused
vertebrae with four sets of sacral foramen and the bear sacrum has four fused vertebrae
with three sets of sacral foramen. Also, the wings or ali of the bear sacrum are more
pronounced due to the relatively gracile appearance of the entire element.
Table 9: Human sacrum (Sacral Index = 89.65mm)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Table 10: American black bear sacrum #15239 (Sacral Index = 59.9mm)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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Figure 5: The human sacrum (5-1, 5-2 and top) and the American black bear
sacrum (5-3, 5-4 and bottom)
Fig.5-6: proximal
The Femur
The maximum length of the human femur (409.6mm) is significantly longer than
the maximum length of the bear femur (290.5mm). The bear femur, however, is
significantly more robust. The head of the bear femur is less ball-like and has more of a
lip at the inferior edge than the head of the human femur. The greater and lesser
trochanters of the human femur are more prominent than those of the bear femur. Also,
the proximal and distal ends of the human femur are larger with the distal end being
wider with more articular surface area. Yet, the articular surface for the patella of the
bear femur is deeper and longer than the articular surface for the patella of the human
femur.
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Table 11: Human femur (Platymetric Index = 81.8mm)
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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The Tibia
The circumferences of the shafts of the bear and human tibia are comparable.
The human tibia (359.6mm) is, however, significantly longer than the bear tibia
(230mm). The human tibia also has a more defined anterior crest and popliteal line.
The medial malleolus of the human tibia is larger than that of the bear.
Table 13: Human tibia
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Figure 6: The human femur and the American black bear femur (Fig.6-3)
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Fig.6-1: proximal/posterior Fig.6-2: distal/posterior
Fig.6-3: posterior
The Fibula
The bear fibula is gracile compared to the human fibula. The human fibula is
more robust and longer (359.8mm) than the bear fibula (209.9mm). The distal and
proximal ends of the human fibula are more prominent and defined, with large articular
surfaces. The bear fibula, in contrast, has distal and proximal ends that are not much
greater in size than the rest of the bone.
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Table 15: Human fibula
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
The Patella
The human patella is significantly larger and more triangular than the bear
patella. Almost the entire anterior of the bear patella is articular surface, while the
anterior of the human patella has a distinct distal process.
Figure 9: The human patella (left column) and the American black bear patella (right
column); posterior, anterior, medial and late
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The Tarsals
The foot, in general, of the human is larger than the foot of the bear. The talus
of the human and the astragalus of the bear have the same position with little difference
in size. The calcaneus of the bear foot is significantly slimmer than the calcaneus of the
human foot. The bear calcaneus also has a laterally flared extension near the distal
end (Stewart, 1959).
Figure 10:The human calcaneus(10-1) and the American black bear calcaneus
(Fig.10-2)
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proximal articular surfaces. The orientation and sizes of these aspects of each element
should assist in identification.
Primary locomotory practice is especially important when looking at the
elements of the hands and feet. Bears are not built for the upright posture they often
engage in; therefore, the elements of the feet, such as the calcaneus and the astragalus
(talus) are significantly smaller than that of an adult human. Humans spend most of
their lives on their feet, bearing the entire weight of the body on a small surface area
and it shows in the robusticity of those skeletal elements. The skeletal elements of both
human and bear hands are less distinguishable by size. However, if articulated, the
bear metacarpals increase in size from II-V rather than decrease, as do the human
metacarpals. The presence of many sesimoid bones in the bear will also be helpful in
identification.
Field Museum
American black bear
Adult Male
#44725
Humerus
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Ulna
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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Femur
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Maximum
Diameter of
Head (E-F)
Tibia
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
Fibula
Procedure 1 2 3 Average
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References:
Bass. W.
1971 Human Osetology. Missouri Archaeology Society, Columbia.
Fairgrieve, S.
1999 Forensic Osetology. 1st ed. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield.
Gilbert, B. M.
1993 Mammalian Osteology. Missouri Archaeology Society, Columbia.
Owsley, D.W.
1990 Medicolegal Case Involving A Bear Paw. Journal of American Podiatric
Association vol. 80 (Number 11): pp326-625.
Schwartz, J. H.
1995 Skeleton Keys: An Introduction to Human Skeletal Morphology,
Development and Analysis. 1st ed. Oxford University Press, New York.
Schmid, E.
1972 Atlas of Animal Bones. American Elsevier Publishing Company, New
York.
Searfoss, G.
1995 Skulls and Bones: A Guide to Skeletal Structures and Behaviors of
North American Animals. 1st ed. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg.
Stewart, T. D.
1959 Bear Paw Remains Closely Resemble Human Bones. FBI Law
Enforcement Bulletin v.28(November 1959): pp18-22.
Stewart, T. D.
1979 Essentials of Forensic Anthropology: Especially as Developed in the
United States. Bannerstone House, Springfield.
Ubelaker, D.
1991 Bones: A Forensic Detectives Case Book. 1st ed. Haper Collins, New
York.
White, T.D.
2000 Human Osteology. 2nd ed. Academic Press, San Diego.
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