The Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State
Date
2021-12-27
Authors
Gocha, Timothy P.
Mavroudas, Sophia
Wescott, Daniel J.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Abstract
The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) began accepting whole-body donations for scientific research and educational purposes under the Texas Anatomical Gift Act in 2008. Research conducted with donated whole bodies involves studies in taphonomy and human decomposition, including reconstructing the postmortem interval. Following decomposition, the skeletal elements of all donors are collected, cleaned, and permanently curated into the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection (TXSTDSC), which is used for teaching and research by faculty and students at Texas State but is also open to external researchers. To date, FACTS has received 710 donors. Fifty-eight percent of donors are male and 42% are female. Donor ages range from 21 weeks’ gestation to 103 years old at the time of death, with a mean of 66 years, and a median of 68 years. Based on self-identified or family-identified ancestry, 90% of donors are White, 4.5% are Hispanic, 3% are Black, less than 2% are of mixed ancestry, and less than 1% are Asian or Native American. Information collected about each donor includes geographic/residential history; occupational history; socioeconomic status; anthropometrics; parity status; alcohol, tobacco, and drug use history; mobility status; an overall health questionnaire; cause and manner of death.
Description
Keywords
body donation, identified skeletal collection, Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection, Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State, FACTS, TXSTDSC, Anthropology
Citation
Gocha, T. P., Mavroudas, S. R., & Wescott, D. J. (2021). The Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State. Forensic Sciences, 2(1), pp. 7-19.