ABSTRACT
Forensic anthropologists are most often called in to consult when the deceased is decomposed, highly fragmented, significantly burned, or, otherwise, not identifiable through standard autopsy procedures. In these cases, the medical examiner’s expectation of the anthropology consult is to provide the biological profile of the remains and to possibly recognize individualistic features that might lead to a positive identification. A number of individualistic features occur at such a low frequency that they can be considered unique, but these traits must have been documented in antemortem radiographs or medical records to be used for identification purposes.
