Question

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Identifying the Skeletons You are a scientist specializing in investigating skeletal remains at the Earth Museum of Natural History. In today's mail you receive a package of bones from some archeologists who have been hunting for the last known location of a famous explorer, Gabriela Molina, age 54, and her two assistants, Cordelia Kelley, age 28, and Ian Dumais, age 24. Included in the package are six well-preserved arm and leg bones, each of which is labeled. There is one radius (R1) and one ulna (U1); these are the two bones that connect the wrist and elbow. There are two humerus bones (H1 and H2). The humerus connects the shoulder and the elbow. There are two femurs (F1 and F2). The femur is the large bone in the thigh which connects the hip to the knee. The data chart, prepared by your assistant, indicates the length of each of these bones. These measurements can be used to estimate how tall the deceased individuals might have been. Based on ratios between bone lengths and body height, your assistant has calculated possible heights for the people whose bones you received. There is no evidence, however, to show whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman. Since the ratios of bone lengths to body height are different for men and women, the chart includes estimates for both genders. For example, H1 is 39.1 centimeters long, and so could have come from a man who was 186.2-194.2 centimeters tall, or a woman who was 183.2-191.2 centimeters tall. Dr. Molina was approximately five feet five inches tall. Her female associate, Dr. Kelley, was approximately four feet ten inches tall. Mr. Dumais was significantly taller, but your files do not list a specific height for him. (Remember to convert height to metric system units cm – centimeters) Specimen Measurement Male Height Range Female Height Range H1 39.1cm 186.2-194.2cm 183.2-191.2cm H2 32.27cm 164.5-172.57cm 161.2-169.2cm R1 19.5cm 146.49-154.49cm 141.5-149.45cm U1 22.5cm 150.9-158.97cm 147.8-155.8cm F1 49cm 188.5-196.57cm 169.5-177.5cm F2 45.42cm 180.47-188.47cm 161.02-169.02cm Questions Write your answers. From the data on the chart, what evidence supports the theory that these bones might indeed be the remains of the lost scientists? Which bones could possibly belong to which scientist? How do you know? Which bone is most difficult to assign to a certain individual? Why?

Answer 1

1fet = 30.48 cms.

1 inch = 2.54 cms.

It is given that height of Dr. Molina was five feet five inches (5'5'') tall approximately.

Hence height in centimetres (cms) can be calculated as:

(5 * 30.48) + (5 * 2.54) = 165.1 cms.

Height of Dr. Kelley given as four feet ten inches (4'10'') tall approximately.

So height in centimetres can be calculated as:

(4 * 30.48) + (10 * 2.54) = 147.32 cms.

Height of Dr. Dumais is not specified.

Seeing their heights in centimetres:

From the data on the chart the evidence that supprorts the fact that these bones might indeed be the remains of the lost scientists is the height ranges given for the males and females corresponding to the heights of the individuals bones (R1, U1, F1, F2, H1 and H2) so obtained by the archaeologists.

Bone H2 and F2 belongs to Dr. Molina since her height is 165.1 cms that exactly falls in the given range (

H2 (161.2 - 169.2cm), F2 (161.02-169.02cm) ) of female heights corresponding to the length of H2 ( 32.27 cm) and F2 (45.42 cm) respectively.

F1 might also belong to Dr. Molina though the height does not fall in the very range given for females (169.5-177.5cm) corresponding to F1. But here that heights are approximate and not exact.

Bone R1 belongs to Dr. Kelley since her height is 147.32 cms that exactly falls in the given range of female heights (141.5-149.45cm) corresponding to the length of R1 ( 19.5 cm).

Bone U1 might also belong to Kelly though her height is less than what is given as the height range for females corresponding to U1, since the heights here are approximate and not absolute.

The bone that is most difficult to assign to a certain individual is the H1 (Humerus 1), since the height range for both males and females given corresponding to H1 length does not anywhere close to Dr. Molina or Dr. Kelly. Also, we don't know Dr. Dumais's height. So we can not conclude, to whom does H1 belong.