Is it human? identifiers that distinguish animal skeletal remains from human

Abstract

Even in the most experienced hands it is not always possible to distinguish human from animal skeletal remains. While the skull and vertebrae of most animals possess features quite different to humans, given the common mammalian form it is often difficult to distinguish post-cranial remains, particularly when the articular surfaces are missing. This part of the workshop will present some principles useful for identifying animal skeletal remains and provide examples of animal bones that are typically mistaken for human.