Part IV – The Final Inventory
The next morning your team returns to work in the laboratory, where you get a call from the sheriff. The family of the three missing boys is pressuring him for information. Your team begins the final osteological exam. After careful examination, you produce your final inventory. You are working with the same number of bones, but you now have determined which side of the body they come from (when applicable).
You have:
- 3 skulls
- 6 femora (4 right and 2 left)
- 4 os coxae (1 right and 3 left)
- 2 humeri (right)
- 2 tibiae (left)
- 5 scapulae (3 right and 2 left)
Write answers to the following questions in your notebook:
- 1. Based on the revised inventory, would you change your NISP? Why or why not?
- 2. Based on the revised inventory, would you change your MNI? If so what would be the new MNI?
- 3. What do you tell the sheriff?
- 4. Why is this important?
Now share your answers with members of your group and tell me:
- 5. Did you get the same answers as other group members? Why or why not?
We will discuss answers as a whole class.
Originally published at http://www.sciencecases.org/bone_forensics/case4.asp
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