Kate Spradley

Dr. Kate Spradley Associate Professor

PhD, The University of Tennessee

E-mail: mks@txstate.edu

Phone: (512) 245-8272

Office: ELA 234

I received my MA from the University of Arkansas in 2000 and my PhD from The University of Tennessee in 2006. I am a biolgoical anthropologist with specific research interests in human biolgoical variation, forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and quantitative methods. I use metric data from human skeletons to address identification methods in forensic anthropology, to track population migrations when there is little or no historical documentation, and to explore the skeletal morphological changes associated with human migrations and changing environments (e.g. climate, nutrition, health). My current research broadly addresses migration and sex and ancestry estimation within forensic anthropology using quantitative methods and more specifically my research addresses Hispanic identification issues.

Research Interests:

Human Variation, Biological Anthropological Aspects of Human Migrations, Secular Change, Quantitative Methods, Forensic Anthropology, Identification methods of U.S. / Mexico Border Crossing Fatalities, Geometric Morphometrics

Courses Taught

Undergraduate Courses
ANTH 3343 Human Biological Variation and Adaptation

ANTH 3319 Human Growth and Development

ANTH 4382 Methods in Skeletal Biology

ANTH 3376Q Field Methods in Forensic Anthropology

Graduate Courses
ANTH 5312 Seminar in Biological Anthrpology

ANTH 5319 Human Growth and Development

ANTH 5343 Advanced Human Biological Variation and Adaptation

ANTH 5375 Advanced Methods in Skeletal Biology

ANTH 5326 Field Methods in Forensic Anthropology

Select Publications

Book Chapters

Spradley MK, Weisensee KE, Jantz RL. In Press. Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics. In Owsley, DW and Jantz, RL (eds.) Kennewick Man. College Station: Texas A&M.

Jantz RL and Spradley MK. In Press. Cranial Morphometric Evidence for Early American Relationships and Population Structure. In Owsley, DW and Jantz, RL (eds.) Kennewick Man. College Station: Texas A&M.

Spradley, MK and Weisensee KE. 2013. Why do forensic anthropologists estimate ancestry and why is it so controversial? In Tersigni-Tarrant M and Shirley N (eds.):Forensic Anthropology: An Introduction" CRC Press. ISBN-10: 1439816468.

Journal Articles

Journal Articles

Spradley MK. In Press. Towards Estimating Geographic Origin of Migrant Remains along the United State Mexico Border. Annals of Practicing Anthropology.

Spradley MK, Anderson BE, Tise ML. In Press. Postcranial Sex Estimation for Mexican Hispanics. Journal of Forensic Sciences.

Owsley DW, Bruwelheide KS, Cashion Lugo M, Spradley MK, Romero Palanco JL. In Press. Identification of Ramon Power y Giralt: Puerto Rico’s Diplomat to the 1812 Spanish Constitutional Court. CENTRO – Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies.

Tise ML, Kimmerle EH, and Spradley MK. In Press. Craniometric Variation of Diverse Populations in Florida: Identification Challenges within a Border State. Annals of Practicing Anthropology.

Hefner JT, Spradley MK, Anderson BE. 2014. Ancestry Assessment using Random Forest Modeling. Journal of Forensic Sciences. Early View: doi:10.1111/1556-4029.1202.

Báez-Molgado S, Meza Peñaloza A, Spradley MK, and Bartelink EJ. 2013. Analysis of Bone Healing in a Post-Operative Patient: Skeletal Evidence of Medical Neglect and Human Rights Violations. Journal of Forensic Sciences 58(4):1050-1054.

Tise ML and Spradley MK. 2012. Postcranial Sex Estimation of Individuals Considered Hispanic. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 58(1):s9-s14.

Spradley MK, Hamilton MD, and Giordano A. 2012. Spatial patterning of vulture scavenged remains. Forensic Science International 219:57-63.

Bongiovanni R and Spradley MK. 2012. Estimating sex of the human sternum based on metrics of the sternum. Forensic Science International 219:290e1-290e7.

DiMichele DL and Spradley MK. 2012. Sex estimation in a modern American osteological sample using a discriminant function analysis from the calcaneus. Forensic Science International 221:152.e1-152.e5.

Haden-Pinneri K, Love J, Spradley MK. 2012 Is Race Determination in the Medicolegal Setting Important? Academic Forensic Pathology 2(2):142-149.

Spradley MK, Jantz RL. 2011. Sex estimation in forensic anthropology: Skull vs. postcranial elements*. Journal of Forensic Sciences 56(2): 289-296.

Hamilton MD and Spradley MK. 2011. Purported drug cartel use of vultures as a method for body disposal. Journal of Forensic Identification 61(5):425-429.

Spradley MK, Jantz RL, Robinson A, and Peccerelli F. 2008. Demographic change and forensic identification: Problems in metric identification of Hispanic skeletons. Journal of Forensic Sciences 53(1):21-28.

Technical Reports

Spradley, MK. 2013. Project Identification: Developing Accurate Identification Criteria for Hispanics. National Institute of Justice Award No. 2008-DN-BX-K464.