Skeletal recovery rates in a New England environment

Abstract

The present research examined the recovery rates of skeletal elements from forensic anthropology case report inventories at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Massachusetts, with cases from 1979 through 2023 and from five contexts: terrestrial ground surface (n = 65), marine/freshwater (n = 49), cemetery burial (n = 67), recent burial (n = 5), and previous anatomical teaching specimens (n = 38). Element representation was highest in recent burial and terrestrial environments, followed by previous anatomical remains, marine/freshwater environments, and lowest in cemetery environments. The cranium was the highest represented element in all contexts (between 45.0% [marine] and 100.0% [burial]), and most contexts followed the same general patterns of element representation with high representation of the long bones, higher representation of the lower axial skeleton (os coxae, lumbar vertebrae) vs. the thoracic and cervical vertebrae, and overall low representation of the hyoid, sternal body, patellae, and elements of the hands and feet. These recovery rates are related to the typical taphonomic agencies encountered in these environments, recovery context and methods, and inherent bone properties. Knowledge of these differing patterns may aid in the determination of the origin of unknown remains, highlight recovery and identification methods in need of greater focus, and support the utilization of forensic anthropologists in medicolegal casework.