What significant developments occurred during the Consolidation Period (1939-1971)?

• A. The publication of the Guide to Identification of Human Skeletal Material by Wilton Krogman and the establishment of military labs.
• B. The founding of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and the creation of SWGANTH.
• C. The first dedicated funding source for forensic anthropology research.
• D. The introduction of routine DNA profiling in skeletal analysis.

Answer: (A)

During the Consolidation Period, forensic anthropology moved toward standardized methods and solid institutional support. A pivotal development was the publication of Wilton Krogman’s Guide to Identification of Human Skeletal Material, which compiled and codified the skeletal indicators used to estimate age, sex, ancestry, and trauma. This book provided a widely accepted reference that unified practices across casework and education, helping to transform the field from anecdotal reports into a more systematic discipline. At the same time, military labs were established to support identification and casualty investigations in wartime and postwar contexts, embedding forensic anthropology within formal, operational settings and giving the discipline practical applications and career pathways.

These elements reflect why this period is seen as one of consolidation: publishing a definitive guide created shared standards, while military laboratories provided institutional infrastructure that legitimized and sustained forensic anthropology as a formal practice. Other options point to developments that occurred later, as the field further professionalized and expanded with dedicated boards, working groups, funding channels, and molecular techniques.