Liebenberg, Leandi2025-02-112025-02-112025-042024-11*A2025http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100685Dissertation (MSc (Anatomy))--University of Pretoria, 2024.Forensic anthropologists aim to produce reports containing biological information that can assist investigators in identifying individuals from skeletal remains. An important area of research within this field is the analysis of thermal alteration to skeletal remains and its impact on the biological profile. Fire can destroy crucial evidence and limit the number of measurements available for the identification process. The majority of current literature focuses on cremated remains, and many practitioners have historically believed that analysing burned bone should be avoided. However, a recent study examined the effects of veldt fire conditions on the degree of shrinkage in osteological measurements using both fresh and dry pig femora. These findings needed to be tested on other bones with varying structural compositions and conditions to determine if they are repeatable. Additionally, while abundant research exists on standard heat-related colour variations (brown, grey-blue, black, grey-white), there is limited literature addressing the variability in the presence or intensity of these colours and the specific conditions required for them to appear. These colour variations, such as blue and pink hues, are often observed in skeletal remains that have been exposed to soil or metals, particularly in areas with a high proportion of trabecular bone. Therefore, bones with variable compositions and conditions were used to test these theories. The current study examined pig bones (Sus scrofa domesticus) of varied bone compositions (humeri, scapulae, and os coxae) and conditions (fresh, dried, buried), burned under two different fire durations. Initial preparation involved removing residual flesh, measuring the bones, and positioning them on a grid for a simulated veldt fire. Post-burning, the bones were remeasured, and measurements were compared to assess the feasibility of accurately measuring bones after thermal alteration. Relative and absolute technical error of measurement (TEM and %TEM) was calculated to evaluate the extent of dimensional changes following exposure to fire, while Kruskal-Wallis tests determined the statistical significance of observed changes. Overall, the bones exhibited dimensional and morphological changes noted in previous literature, with a few unexpected variations. Areas with higher trabecular to cortical bone ratios generally exhibited the most significant shrinkage. The greatest degree of shrinkage varied for each bone, with up to 9.34% in the buried humeri, 4.92% in the dry os coxae, and 13.91% in the buried scapulae. With increased fire duration, the bones experienced greater shrinkage and experienced more fragmentation. The scapulae maintained the best structural integrity across the varying fire durations and bone conditions. Despite this, the glenoid cavity exhibited some of the largest post-burning changes and should conservatively be excluded in forensic cases analysis to avoid misclassification. Charring was observed throughout the different categories and fire durations, while calcination was mainly observed on areas which contained more trabecular bone, regardless of the fire duration. An unexpected heat-related observation was a shiny metallic silver discolouration that was observed throughout the various bone categories. While soil influenced the structural integrity of the bones post-burning, it had no substantial impact on the heat-related colour variations. Osteological measurements taken post-burning can still contribute valuable insights into the biological profile in forensic case analysis. While pigs do serve as effective proxies in burned bone studies, morphological differences exist, emphasizing the need for additional research on human remains to assess whether the results are comparable.en© 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.UCTDForensic anthropologyVeldt firesOsteometryBurned boneShrinkageDissertationu15199721https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.28375457