Physical Anthropology & Comparative Anatomy Group - Honours in 2010

An Honours project undertaken in this lab would be administered by the Discipline of Anatomy & Histology.

Research in the Shellshear Museum focuses on human osteology with a focus on the identification of skeletal remains. There are a lack of standards for the forensic identification of skeletal remains in Australia. We are interested in finding methods to identify ways of determining ancestry, sex, age and stature of those remains found in NSW and particularly in the Sydney region. Present research focuses on discriminating between human and non-human bone fragments and determination of sex of juveniles from dentition. Other areas of research include the clinical implications of human cranial variations and the investigation of cranial and body proportions of Homo floresiensis.

Collections in the Shellshear Museum which are available for research include a large collection of Melanesian skulls, a collection of skeletal remains from Pella, Jordan and a large varied range of mammal skulls and dentitions.

Discriminating between human and non-human bones as well as finding methods to identify ways of determining ancestry, sex, age and stature.

Supervisor + contact details:

• Dr Denise Donlon

Research in the Shellshear Museum focuses on human osteology with a focus on the identification of skeletal remains. Present research focuses on discriminating between human and non-human bones as well as finding methods to identify ways of determining ancestry, sex, age and stature of those remains found in NSW and particularly in the Sydney region. Other areas of research include the clinical implications of human cranial variations, the anthropometry of early Britich settlers in Australia. Collections in the Shellshear Museum which are available for research include a large collection of Melanesian skulls, a collection of skeletal remains from Pella, Jordan and casts of human dentition.