Showcasing Research in Biological Anthropology

In many cases the identities of the corpses that arrive at Cape Town's pathology labs are unknown. One of the main challenges in identification of these bodies is that local forensic anthropologists lack information on how local conditions affect the decomposition. This is particularly problematic in establishing the time of death, which often is crucial for the police to search the missing persons register for a possible identity. Belinda Speed and Devin Finaughty, PhD researchers specialising in forensic anthropology, want to change that. Through their research they hope to provide comparative data – for instance, between different geographic and climatic zones – that can be used by local forensic anthropologists to help identify bodies. This research is currently being showcased and you can find out more in articles in the UCT News and the Mail & Guardian.