Synopses & Reviews
An inquiry into why we should study and practice human osteology,
Skeleton Keys: An Introduction to Human Skeletal Morphology, Development, and Analysis is a unique, integrative textbook that is relevant to many different types of analyses and interests, including theoretical aspects of development as well as practical elements of classroom work, laboratory studies, and field situations routinely encountered by physical anthropologists, archaeologists, and forensic pathologists. Designed as much more than a manual on skeletal analysis, this book is as concerned with the foundations for the morphologies that osteologists typically study as with the analysis of the morphologies themselves.
This book includes much more basic morphology than other osteology texts, and it also places emphasis on understanding the development of adult morphology, from the cellular levels of bone and tooth formation to the theoretical aspects of the determination of size and shape of these structures. Another area of concentration deals with how sexual difference, normal variation, and certain pathological conditions can be better understood in a developmental context. Because of this integrated presentation, particular information (for example, on variation in facet or foramen number, abnormalities in bone growth and regulation, sexually dimorphic features, and supernumerary structures) is included in the descriptions and discussions of individual bones and regions so that a fuller perspective of our own species,Homo sapiens, can be achieved. In addition to offering practical aspects of analysis--such as determining age or sex, or taking measurements for the calculation of various indices--the author intersperses the text with theoretical discussions of the relevance of pursuing osteological analyses. Most importantly, whether in discussing the morphology and development of individual bones, the criteria often employed in the determination of age, sex, and populational affinity, or the differential diagnosis of diseases,Skeleton Keys accomplishes much more than providing background information. Useful and accessible for students and researchers in physical, biological, medical, and methods anthropology, forensic pathology, and archaeology, Skeleton Keys presents osteology as a vibrant field with a plethora of research avenues waiting to be pursued, thereby encouraging readers to imagine and aspire to future possibilities in research and study.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-348) and index.
Table of Contents
1. An Introduction to the Skeleton and Bone
The Terminology of Anatomical Postion
Units of the Skeleton and Their Articular Relations
Gross Anatomy of Bone
Osteogenesis: the Formation of Bone
Regulation of and Abnormalities in Bone Growth
Other Pathological Aspects of Bone Growth and Physiology
2. The Skull
External Morphology
Internal Morphology
Individual Bones of the Skull
3. The Postcranial Axial Skeleton: The Vertebral Column, Sacrum, Sternum, and Ribs
Vertebral Column: Overview
True Vertebrae
First and Second Cervical Vertebrae
Sacrum
Coccyx
Sternum
Ribs
4. The Upper Limb
Scapula
Clavicle
Humerus
Radius
Ulna
The Hand
Carpus[Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetral, Pisiform, Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, Hamate].
Metacarpal Bones
Phalanges
5. The Lower Limb
Pelvic Girdle
Femur
Patella
Tibia
Fibula
The Foot
Tarsus[Talus, Calcaneus, Navicular, Medial Cuneiform, Intermediate Cuneiform, Lateral Cuneiform, Cuboid].
Metatarsal Bones
Phalanges
6. Teeth
Basic Gross Dental Anatomy
Differentiating Dentitions
Tooth Surfaces and Orientation
Tooth Development
Enamel
Determination of Tooth Shape
Supernumerary Teeth and Tooth Agenesis
Basic Nomenclature of Crown Anatomy
Molars: An Overview
Upper Molars
Upper Premolars
Upper Canine
Upper Incisors
Lower Molars
Lower Premolars
Lower Canine
Lower Incisors
Summary of Permanent Tooth Identification
Deciduous Teeth
Tooth Eruption and Root Formation
7. Aging
Overview
Childhood
Juvenile Age
Adulthood
Age-Related Changes in Teeth
The Complex Method of Determining Adult Age
The Multifactorial Method of Determining Summary Age
Histological Age-Related Changes in Bone
8. Pathology: Disease, Trauma, and Stress
Overview
Infectious Diseases of Bone
Joint Diseases
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)
Tumors
Bone Necrosis
Fractures and Trauma
Infectious and Degenerative Diseases of the Jaws and Teeth
9. Differentially Expressed Morphological Character States: Nonmetric Variation, Race, and Sex Determination
Overview
Considering the Bases of Nondental, Nonmetric Variation
Dental Nonmetric Traits
The Assessment of Skeletal Sexual Dimorphism
Nonmetric Variation, Sexual Dimorphism, and Populations
Appendix A: Bone Synonymy
Appendix B: Regions and Bones of the Adult Skeleton
Appendix C: Glossary of Terms of Position, Orientation, and Movement
Directions and Postions
Planes
Movement
Appendix D: Bone Topography and Landmarks
Elevations
Depressions
Openings
Appendix E: Identifying Fragments: Determining Anatomical Position and Side
Appendix F: Glossary of Osteometric Landmarks and Anatomical Regions
Midsagittal Landmarks of the Skull
Bilateral (Paired) Landmarks of the Skull
Postcranial Landmarks
Anatomical Regions
Appendix G: Osteometry
Cranial and Mandibular Measurements
Cranial and Mandibular Indices
Postcranial Measurements
Postcranial Indices
Appendix H: Comparative Osteology: Human, Deer, Bear, Pig
Index