Chapter 18 - LABORATORY PROCEDURES & REPORTING

Abstract

This chapter introduces laboratory procedures commonly applied to human osteological material and considers the elements of effective reporting of analytical results. It is important to note, particularly for forensic settings that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for agencies involved in cases with evidentiary human remains must be followed very closely. The specific procedure depends on the nature of the site, the available time and resources, and the type of analysis planned. For DNA analysis, it includes disposable latex gloves and hair nets, and sterilizing excavation tools. The osteologist should specify exactly what materials are being analyzed, what procedures are used in the analysis, and what results are achieved. After the usually unpublished initial field reports to granting agencies and various governmental regulatory agencies, published reporting of hominid osteological remains from paleontological contexts often occurs in three stages: first; announcement in a prominent international journal such as Science or Nature , followed by anatomical description in a more specialized journal such as American Journal of Physical Anthropology , and finally years later, full monographic treatment.