The Carbon 14, or radiocarbon dating method is one of the best-known methods of dating human fossils and has been around since the late 1940s. The collagen is the organic protein in the bone that is the most robust and most suitable for radiocarbon dating.

Can bones be dated?

Recent advances in ultrafiltration techniques have expanded the dating range of radiocarbon. It now seems feasible to reliably date bones up to 55,000 years.

Can you tell a persons race by their bones?

Its impossible to identify a persons ancestry definitively from a single bone. Investigators can also take bone measurements using calipers, then input the data into a University of Tennessee database containing a reference library of measurements from more than 1,800 bones of known ancestry, age, and gender.

What is the first thing a forensic scientist looks at to identify a deceased?

Of course one of the first things a forensic scientist will look for in their quest to identify the deceased is what they are wearing. Does the deceaseds clothing match the description given to the police?

What bone is the best indicator of race?

The skull is considered to be the most important bone for race determination because without it, the origin of race cannot accurately be determined. Forensic anthropologists use lengths, widths, and shapes of skull features along with population-specific dental traits to aid them in reaching a conclusion.