View Single Post
Old January 17th, 2009 #1
E. Moolnar
Angry Kitty
 
E. Moolnar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Litter tray at Temple David
Posts: 146
Default Forensic anthropology of the Australian Aborigines

With all the talk on the mainstream media and individuals with quasi scientific discussions trying to convey the message that there is no such thing a race quoting from incomplete fragmented and edited findings from various research especially DNA data. There is differenced between races and anthropological evidence suggests that the age of the book where the information has been copied is a bit dated but still apply to today regardless of what political correct groups say.

This is a copy from a book that I have purchased from a thrift shop (Store for those from America) last year.

Forensic Medicine
Keith Macrae Bowden, M.S. (Melb.)
Independent lecturer in forensic medicine University of Melbourne
© 1962 Jacaranda Press Pty, Ltd.

Part 4 – Post-Mortem considerations
Section 42, Identification of the dead body
Pages 446, 447.

Race

The features, the eyes, the colour of the skin, the characters of the hair, may all help in setting this question. From an examination of the bones and measurements of the skull, with a determination of the cranial indices, an opinion about the race can be given.
In Australia bones of aborigines are commonly presented for examination. The cranial capacity of the Australian aborigine is less than 1250 cc. The cephalic index (max. breadth X 100 over max. length) is less than 75. The height index, i.e. as measured from the bregma to the front of the foramen magnum X 100 over max. length, is less than 75. The jaws project well to the front, there is usually pronounced prognathism. (FIG. 245.) The condition of the teeth is very helpful. The extremely worn larger and longer teeth, with a more or less perfect bite, with vertical wearing of the teeth as a result of very good occlusion, are usual, as in the absence of caries. (FIG. 246) Carious teeth are rarely encountered in the Australian aborigine. The presence of a Simian groove is very suggestive, also the appearance of the nares, the orbits and the superciliary ridges. The comparatively long skull with its maximum width low down and the receding frontal area, is typically aboriginal. In general, aboriginal bones are spindly in comparison of those of the European and the articular facets are small in area compared with the length of the bone. The hands are most typical. Squatting facets are usually present on the lower ends of the tibiae and the upper end of the tibia is bowed or angulated backwards.



Fig. 245 – Typical Australian aboriginal skull. Beetled brows – prognathism- Simian grooves – worn teeth – receding forehead.



Fig. 246 – Teeth of an Australian aboriginal. Well worn. No caries. Some teeth have fallen out after death.

Note: That the dental conditions of the aboriginal people compared from today when the book was written. Since white colonization of the Australian continent the overall health of the aboriginal has dramatically changed and not for the betterment, this can be said equally with dental health. The bones cited in the book are pre – white colonization.