The Human skeleton

The adult human skeleton contains 206 bones which vary in size from the almost microscopic ossicles of the inner ear to femora which may exceed 450 mm in length. This great variation in size is accompanied by similar variation in shape which makes identification of individual bones relatively straightforward. Some bones, however, are more difficult to identify than others, with the bones of the hands, feet, rib cage and vertebral column requiring closer scrutiny than the rest. This is true both within our species and between our species and other mammals. While it is very difficult to confuse a human femur with that from a large kangaroo, phalanges, metatarsals and metacarpals require greater expertise. Prior to epiphyseal union infant and juvenile skeletal elements may also prove problematic. This is particularly true where the infant bones are fragmentary and missing their articular surfaces. In part this is a relatively few subadult skeletons and they are less frequently encountered in forensic and anthropological investigations.