Research
USF FORT & Research Skeletal Collections
The Florida Body Farm: Facility for Outdoor Research & Training (USF-FORT)
Forensic Anthropology is a field that studies the human skeleton to aid law enforcement,
medical examiners, and death investigations. Research on human skeletal remains helps
validate the methods used in forensic anthropology and provides new tools for investigators.
This includes methods for human identification such as the biological profile of an
unknown person, as well as the time since death, injuries or trauma, and the manner
of death, all of which play an integral part in homicide and missing person cases.
The objectives of this program are to:
- Document and study postmortem change in human remains;
- Conduct research in the areas of forensic medicine, anthropology, biochemistry, geology and geophysics, and related sciences around this topic (i.e. strategies for violent crime investigations, information-led policing, geoforensics, toxicology, entomology, and more;
- To provide cutting edge training in outdoor crime scene methods involving human victims; and
- To create a permanent Donated Skeletal Colelction of known individuals for research in skeletal biology and forensic anthropology.
If you are interested in completing an application for donation to the USF Body Donation Program, please contact Natalie Wise.
Please note that our collections are ethically sourced, with IRB approval & family
consent granted. Signed consent is granted for research and teaching purposes.