ABSTRACT
As we begin the new millennium, forensic anthropologists are enjoying unprecedented public popularity, developing innovative research techniques, and exploring new areas of inquiry. They are also the target of heightened scrutiny from other physical anthropologists and fellow professionals. Some physical anthropologists have labeled forensic anthropology as a non-theoretical specialty that lacks scientific methods and evolutionary theory so critical to the field as a whole. On the other hand non-anthropological forensic specialists have been slow or reluctant to recognize anthropologists for their potential contributions in the forensic sciences (Smith et al., 1990; Symes and Smith, 1998). These are criticisms that come at a time when the public and our legal system demands state-of-the-art techniques and irrefutable arguments in a court of law.
