Ellis R. Kerley (September 1, 1924 – September 3, 1998) was an American anthropologist and pioneer in the field of Forensic anthropology, which is a field of expertise particularly useful to criminal investigators and for the identification of human remains for humanitarian purposes. Best known for his work in age estimation of specimens, Dr. Kerley also made humanitarian contributions by identifying the remains of repatriated American soldiers from the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Dr. Kerley represents an important figure in the history of American forensic anthropology. In research, he is best known for pioneering the microscopic approach to the estimation of age at death from human bone. A university professor for 22 years, Kerley also served as Scientific Director of the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii and worked on many high profile forensic cases. He was a leader in the formation of the Physical Anthropology section of the AAFS and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and held many offices within the AAFS, including President from 1990 to 1991.

Ellis Kerley Papers at the Smithsonian

Dr. Ellis Kerley  - The Bone Whisperer

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