Summary

Dr. Sean Tallman talks about crafting new metric and nonmetric methods for sex estimation in modern populations — especially in groups that have been historically ignored or conflated with others in the past. Additionally, Dr. Tallman shares his research on the current state of diversity and inclusion in forensics and biological anthropology. We also discuss: How can diversity shift how research is done? What are some ways to make the field more inclusive?

Recommendations

• What to read to learn more:
  • Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist by Dr. William R. Maples and Michael Browning
  • Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton: History, Methods, and Emerging Techniques by Dr. Alexandra Klales
  • Opinion: The Forensic Sciences Have a Diversity, Inclusion Problem by Dr. Sean Tallman
  • Tallman, Sean & Bird, Cate. (2020). Diversity and Inclusion in Forensic Anthropology: Where We Stand and Prospects for the Future. 10.5744/fa.2020.3001.
• What he’s reading for work:
  • A colleague’s case report
• What he’s consuming for fun:
  • Fargo (TV series)
  • My Favorite Murder (Podcast)
  • I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
• Other:
  • CDC: The Tuskegee Study

References:

• Kilroy, Grace & Tallman, Sean & DiGangi, Elizabeth. (2020). Secular change in morphological cranial and mandibular trait frequencies in European Americans born 1824–1987. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 173. 10.1002/ajpa.24115.
• Atkinson, Megan & Tallman, Sean. (2020). Nonmetric Cranial Trait Variation and Ancestry Estimation in Asian and Asian‐Derived Groups. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 65. 692-706. 10.1111/1556-4029.14234.
• Tallman, Sean & Blanton, Amelia. (2020). Distal Humerus Morphological Variation and Sex Estimation in Modern Thai Individuals. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 65. 361-371. 10.1111/1556-4029.14218.
• Patterson, Meredith & Tallman, Sean. (2019). Cranial and Postcranial Metric Sex Estimation in Modern Thai and Ancient Native American Individuals. 2. 233-252. 10.5744/fa.2019.1009.