Know Your Bones!

A learning module to help you learn your bones (c)1997, Kevin L. Callahan

Exercise your brain--Know your bones!

One foundation of physical anthropology in general, is that the morphology (or form and structure) of a skeleton can give us information about an individual's life: how it moved, what it ate, how much labor it did, its age at death, and, often, what killed it. The purpose of this learning module is to prepare you for studying humans and other primates through their skeletons. During this lab, you will familiarize yourself with the bones of a skeleton and compare the human pelvis with that of another primate and with how the human method of locomotion (bipedalism, or walking on two legs) is reflected in our bones.Your quiz for the lab will consist largely of naming various bones, so take some time to learn their names.

"Dem Bones Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones"

FIND YOUR BONES
Cranium,
Clavicle,
Scapula,
Sternum,
Ribs,
Humerus
Vertebrae,
Ilium,
Sacrum,
Coccyx,
Neck of the Femur,
Radius,
Ulna,
Carpal Bones,
Metacarpal Bones,
Femur,
Patella,
Tibia,
Fibula,
Tarsal,
Metatarsal,
Phalanges

Q: What are three differences between a chimp and human pelvis?Click here for a diagram
A: Human pelvises are thicker, shorter, and bowl shaped.
Chimps are thinner, longer, and flatter in shape.

Q: What are the bones of the cranium called? Click here for an Interactive Virtual Cranium
A: Memorize the names in your Lab Manual.It only takes about 20 minutes.

Q: What are the bones of the body called?
A. Memorize the names in your Lab Manual.

If you have time there is an interactive trial version of a shareware program you can download called ZuperSkeleton_V3.0:Click here to download ZuperSkeleton This is not an ad but they describe themselves like this:"The ZuperSkeleton program is a novel educational application designed to teach the names of the various bones that make up the human skeleton. The program is straightforward and easy to use. When opened, the program displays a human skeleton with 20 of the major bones and a box with a question mark. Click on one of these boxes to access a picklist of names. If you select the correct name it's automatically inserted; if incorrect the program automatically inserts the right name."

Keep in mind that ZuperSkeleton does not cover the bones of the cranium or the teeth which you need to know for the Lab Quiz!

KNOW YOUR CRANIUM!
Frontal area, Brow Ridge (supra-orbital torus),
Parietal area,
Temporal area,
Zygomatic Arch
Occipital area,
Maxilla,
Mandible,
Foramen magnum

KNOW YOUR TEETH! The 2-1-2-3 dental pattern
On each half of your mandible has:
Incisors (2 narrow flat front teeth)
Canine (1 long pointed tooth)
Premolars (2 horizontal grinding teeth next to the canine)
Molars (3 back teeth e.g. "wisdom teeth")

Count em and Know em

This is what a normal (left) and fractured (right) radius looks like. Note the twist and thickening.

This is what a normal (left) and arthritic (right) vertebra looks like. Note the roughness and depositing.

This is what syphilis (right) does to a bone. Note the thickening and roughness..

This is what stress marks from malnutrition looks like on teeth.Note the horizontal bands.

 Dry Bones . . .

 "Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
 Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
 Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
 . . .
 The head bone connected to the neck bone,
 The neck bone connected to the back bone,
 The back bone connected to the thigh bone,
 The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,
 The knee bone connected to the leg bone,
 The leg bone connected to the foot bone
 . . ."

Week 1: The Human Skeleton and Bipedalism One foundation of this class, and of physical anthropology in general, is that the morphology (or form and structure) of a skeleton can give us information about an individual's life: how it moved, what it ate, how much labor it did, its age at death, and, often, what killed it. The purpose of this lab is to prepare you for studying humans and other primates through their skeletons. During this lab, you will familiarize yourself with the bones of a primate skeleton and with how the human method of locomotion (bipedalism, or walking on two legs) is reflected in our bones. 1) Without using the diagram in the lab book, assemble the skeleton at your station. Don't worry about getting the ribs or hand/foot bones in the correct order, but do work out carefully how the pelvis and forearm fit together. NB: Your quiz for this lab will consist largely of naming various bones, so take some time to quiz each other when you have assembled the skeleton. 2) At your station there is also an ape pelvis. a) Compare the ape and the human pelvises. Are they at all similar? If so, in what way are they similar? What does that suggest about the relationship between these two species? b) List three differences between the pelvises of the two species.

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