ANT 211
Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology 

Defining Forensic Anthropology

(page 3 of 5)

Subdisciplines within the subfield of Physical (Biological) Anthropology:

• primate biology and behavior 

• osteology (study of bones) and skeletal biology

• paleoanthropology (study of old dead primates--human and non-human)

• human variation and adaptation (which explores how various groups of humans adapted over time to different climates, altitudes, environmental conditions, etc. providing us with the diversity we see today)

• human growth and development, nutrition

• genetics (molecular, population)

So, what exactly is forensic anthropology?  Read on...