Forensic Anthropology: A Comprehensive Introduction

The Third Edition of Forensic Anthropology: A Comprehensive Introduction provides a competency-based, learner-centered approach to the modern landscape of forensic anthropology. This updated volume is strategically organized into four sections, designed to transition learners from foundational concepts to the complex realities of professional practice.

• Section I: Forensic Anthropology and the Crime Scene focuses on the transition toward competency-based education and training, while providing a deep dive into the history of the field, the nature of skeletal remains as evidence, and the precise methods of forensic archaeology and scene recovery.
• Section II: The Skeleton and Skeletal Documentation describes the biological fundamentals, covering human osteology, odontology, skeletal examination, and documentation.
• Section III: Skeletal Individuation and Analyses emphasizes the knowledge and technical expertise required to develop a biological profile and conduct a skeletal analysis. The chapters explain how to estimate sex, population affinity, age, and stature, with an entire chapter focused on how to use Fordisc 3. This section also explores how pathological conditions may serve as vital individuating traits and discusses how to interpret and report skeletal trauma.
• Section IV: Human Identification and Advanced Applications addresses high-stakes scenarios, including postmortem interval (PMI) estimation, the investigation of mass fatalities and international crimes, and advanced scene topics such as fire and commingling. It concludes with critical guidance on courtroom procedures and expert witness testimony, ensuring readers are prepared to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and the legal requirements of the field.

This edition serves as an indispensable resource for students at all levels—from undergraduate to PhD—and provides a robust reference for practitioners and instructors. The editors' experiences as former American Board of Forensic Anthropology board members and presidents provide a unique lens into forensic anthropology education, training, and certification. Chapter learning objectives are related to the ABFA's core competencies, which are listed at the end of each chapter. Chapter content is also aligned with ASB (Academy Standards Board) and OSAC (Organization of Scientific Area Committees) standards, which are cited and/or summarized in each chapter for which a standard has been published. Each chapter also provides review questions to ensure learners understand important concepts. Chapter ancillaries—including an Instructor's Manual with Exam Questions, Chapter Exercises, and chapter PowerPoint^TM slides—are available for adopters and qualified course instructors.

Natalie R. Langley, PhD, D-ABFA (previous names: Natalie Shirley, Natalie Langley-Shirley) is Associate Professor of Anatomy at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. She received her B.A. (1998) and M.A. (2001) in anthropology from Louisiana State University and her Ph.D. (2009) from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Dr. Langley is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA). She served on the ABFA Board of Directors from 2019 – 2025 and as President from 2022 – 2024 and Past President from 2-24 - 2025. Dr. Langley is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and in 2007, the AAFS Forensic Science Foundation awarded her the Emerging Forensic Scientist Award for her research in skeletal maturation. The National Institute of Justice has awarded Dr. Langley seven grants since 2008 to conduct research in various areas, including skeletal maturation, age and sex estimation from the human skeleton, secular changes in skeletal biology, currency of forensic standards, postmortem interval estimation, and skeletal trauma. Dr. Langley consults on forensic casework around the United States while maintaining an active role in medical education. She is course leader for the anatomy and histology courses at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MCASOM) Arizona campus, Vice Chair of the MCASOM Curriculum Committee, and Faculty Accreditation Lead for MCASOM’s Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation process. She is a proponent of competency-based education and training in both medicine and the forensic sciences.

MariaTeresa A. Tersigni-Tarrant, PhD, D-ABFA, F-ABMDI is the Chief Forensic Anthropologist for Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office in San Antonio, Texas. She received her B.S (2000) in microbiology and B.S. (2000) in anthropology from Michigan State University; and her M.A. (2002) and Ph.D. (2005) in anthropology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Dr. Tersigni-Tarrant was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship working at the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency (formerly known as Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command or JPAC). During this fellowship, she was instrumental in establishing standard operating procedures for the histological analysis of human remains for the purpose of identifying missing armed-service members. Dr. Tersigni-Tarrant is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) and a Board-Certified Death Investigator through the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI). Dr. Tersigni-Tarrant served six years on the ABFA Board of Directors. During her ABFA Board of Directors service, she served as ABFA’s president from 2019-2022, and as ABFA’s past-president from 2022-2023. Dr. Tersigni-Tarrant is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and is an Affiliate member of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). Dr. Tersigni-Tarrant has over 25 years of teaching experience in physical and cultural anthropology, anatomy, histology, embryology, and forensic science. Dr. Tersigni-Tarrant is passionate about mentoring learners at all levels of undergraduate and graduate education and is committed to competency-based education and training in Forensic Anthropology and Medicolegal Death Investigation.