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Todd W. Fenton

  • Department Chair and Professor

Contact

354 Baker Hall

517 355-8475

fentont@msu.edu

Research Interests

    Physical Anthropology
    Forensic Anthropology
    Human Osteology

Biographical Info

TODD FENTON is Chair and Professor of Anthropology. Dr. Fenton is a biological anthropologist who specializes in forensic anthropology. His interests focus on the analysis of skeletal trauma as well as techniques in human identification. He recently completed his third National Institute of Justice funded research project titled “Building a Science of Adult Cranial Fracture". His NIJ grants have focused on understanding the biomechanics of cranial fracture, including fracture initiation, propagation and patterning. Additionally, the effects of energy level, interface compliance, impactor shape, and head drops versus entrapped impacts have been investigated. In addition to his forensic work, Dr. Fenton has ongoing, long-term collaborative bioarchaeological projects in Italy. In 2015 he began analysis of the skeletons from the Roman and medieval town of Rusellae. Dr. Fenton is also the anthropologist for the Impero Project, a Roman excavation in southern Tuscany directed by Dr. Sandro Sebastiani of the University at Buffalo. Dr. Fenton is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Publications

  • 2022 Goots A, Isa MI, Fenton TW, Wei F. Blunt force trauma in the human mandible: An experimental investigation. Forensic Science International: Reports.
  • 2021 Isa MI, Fenton TW, Antonelli, LS, Vaughan P, Wei F. Investigating Reverse Butterfly Fractures: An Experimental Approach and Application of Fractography. Forensic Science International 325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110899
  • 2020 Beatrice, J., Fenton, T.W., Isaac, C.V., Jenny,L., Wankmiller, J., Mutolo, M., Rauzi, C., and Foran, D. The human skeletons from the Triconch Palace and the Merchant’s House. In Bowden W, ed. Butrint 5: Life and Death at a Mediterranean Port: The Non-Ceramic Finds from the Triconch Palace,. Oxbow Books, Series: Butrint Archaeological Monographs, Volume 5.2.
  • 2019 Soler, A., Isaac, C., Beatrice, J. and Fenton T.W. The Human Skeletons from the Vrina Plain. In Greenslade S, ed. Butrint 6: Excavations on the Vrina Plain Volume 2: The Finds. Oxbow Books, Series: Butrint Archaeological Monographs, Volume 6.2.
  • 2019 Isa MI, Fenton TW, Goots AC, Watson EO, Vaughan PE, Wei F. Experimental investigation of cranial fracture initiation in blunt human head impacts. Forensic Science International 300:51- 62.
  • 2018 Assessing impact direction in 3-point bending of human femora: incomplete butterfly fractures and fracture surfaces. Mariyam I. Isa, Todd W. Fenton, Trevor DeLand, Roger C. Haut. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Volume 63, Issue 1, January 2018. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13521.
  • 2018 Forensic Fractography of Bone: A new approach to skeletal trauma analysis. Angi M. Christensen, Joseph T. Hefner, Michael A. Smith, Jodi Blakely Webb, Maureen C. Bottrell, Todd W. Fenton. Forensic Anthropology Vol. 1, No. 1.
  • *2017 ‡Streetman E. and Fenton T.W. Comparative Medical Radiography: Practice and Validation. In Latham K, Bartelink E, Finnegan M, eds. New Perspectives in Forensic Human Skeletal Identification, eds. Elsevier, Oxford.
  • 2017 Classification of Porcine Cranial Fracture Patterns Using a Fracture Printing Interface. Feng Wei, Serhat Selçuk Bucak, Jennifer M. Vollner, Todd W. Fenton, Anil Jain, Roger C. Haut. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Volume 62, Issue 1, January 2017, Pages: 30–38.. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13231
  • 2016 The Role of Interface Shape on the Impact Characteristics and Cranial Fracture Patterns Using the Immature Porcine Head Model. Patrick Vaughan, Caitlin Vogelsberg, Jennifer Vollner, Todd W. Fenton, Roger C. Haut. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 61, No. 5, September 2016.
  • 2015 The Role of Interface on the Impact Characteristics and Cranial Fracture Patterns Using the Immature Porcine Head Model. DeLand TS, Niespodziewanski E, Fenton TW, Haut RC. Journal of Forensic Sciences. Expected publication date March 2016.
  • 2015 Human Identification via Lateral Patella Radiographs: A Validation Study. Emily Niespodziewanski, M.A., Carl N. Stephan, Ph.D., Pierre Guyomarc’h, Ph.D., Todd W. Fenton, Ph.D. Journal of Forensic Sciences. Expected publication date of January 2016.
  • 2015 Fenton, T.W., ‡Hurst, C.V., and ‡Vollner, J. I’Analisi dei Resti Scheletrici Umani. In Arthur, Imperiale and Tinelli, eds. Apigliano: Un Villagio Bizantino e Medievale in Terra D’Otranto. Apigliano Parco Archeologico.
  • 2013 Fracture characteristics of entrapped head impacts vs. controlled head drops in infant porcine specimens. Powell BJ, Passalacqua NV, Fenton TW, Haut RC. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 58, No. 3, May 2013.
  • 2013 “Personal Identification in Anthropology”. Carolyn V. Hurst, Angela Soler and Todd W. Fenton. In: Siegel JA and Saukko P, eds. Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences, 2nd edition. Elsevier.
  • 2012 “Developments in Skeletal Trauma: Blunt Force Trauma”. Nick Passalacqua and Todd W. Fenton. In Dirkmaat, ed. A Companion to Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology. Blackwell Publishing.
  • 2012 “Human Identification Using Skull-Photo Superimposition and Forensic Image Comparison”. Norman Sauer, Amy Michael, and Todd W. Fenton. In Dirkmaat, ed. A Companion to Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology. Blackwell Publishing.
  • 2012  Powell BJ, Passalacqua NV, Baumer TG, Fenton TW, and Haut RC. Fracture Patterns on the Infant Porcine Skull Following Severe Blunt Impact. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 57, No. 2, March 2012.
  • 2012 Osteological and Molecular Identification of Brucellosis in Ancient Butrint, Albania. Mutolo MJ, Jenny LL, Buzek AR, Fenton TW, and Foran DR. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Feb;147(2):254-63.
  • 2011 Malone CA, Sauer NJ, and TW Fenton. A Radiographic Assessment of Pediatric Fracture Healing and Time Since Injury. Journal of Forensic Sciences. Vol. 56, No. 5, September 2011.
  • 2011  Burt NM, Sauer N, and Fenton T. Testing the Demirjian and the International Demirjian Dental Aging Methods on a Mixed Ancestry Urban American Subadult Sample from Detroit, MI. Journal of Forensic Sciences. Vol. 56, No. 5, September 2011.
  • 2010 Baumer T, Passalacqua NV, Powell B, Newberry W, Smith W, Fenton TW and Haut RC. “Age-Dependent Fracture Characteristics of Rigid and Compliant Surface Impacts on the Infant Skull-A Porcine Model.” Journal of Forensic Sciences.
  • 2010 Baumer TG, Nashelsky M, Hurst CV, Passalacqua NV, Fenton TW, and Haut RC. “Characteristics and Prediction of Cranial Crush Injuries in Children.” Journal of Forensic Sciences.
  • 2009 Baumer T, Powell P, Fenton TW, and Haut RC. “Age-Dependent Mechanical Properties of the Infant Porcine Skull and a Correlation to the Human.” Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 131, no. 11, 111006.
  • 2009 Fenton TW. Book Review of: “The Analysis of Burned Human Remains.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, January 2009.
  • 2008 Fenton TW, Heard AN, and Sauer NJ “Skull-Photo Superimposition and Border Deaths: Identification Through Exclusion and the Failure to Exclude”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 53(1).
  • 2008 Birkby WH, Fenton TW, and Anderson BE. “Identifying Southwest Hispanics Using Nonmetric Traits and the Cultural Profile”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 53(1).
  • 2006 Lorenc Bejko, Todd Fenton and David Foran "Recent Advances in Albanian Mortuary Archaeology, Human Osteology and Ancient DNA," in L. Bejko and R. Hodges eds. New Directions in Albanian Archaeology. International Centre for Albanian Archaeology Monograph Series No. 1, Tirana, 2006
  • 2005 Rennick SL, Fenton TW, and Foran DR. “The Effects of Skeletal Preparation Techniques on DNA from Human and Nonhuman Bone”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 50, Issue 5, September.
  • 2005 Rautman AR and Fenton TW. “A Case of Historic Cannibalism in the American West: Implications for Southwestern Archaeology”. American Antiquity, 70(2), pp. 321-341.
  • 2005 Fenton TW, Stefan V, Wood L, Sauer NJ. “Symmetrical Fracturing of the Skull from Midline Contact Gunshot Wounds: Reconstruction of Individual Death Histories from Skeletonized Human Remains”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 50, Issue 2, March.
  • 2005 Koot M, Fenton TW, and Sauer NJ. “Radiographic Human Identification Using Bones of the Hand: A Validation Study”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 50, Issue 2, March.
  • 2003 Fenton TW, DeJong J, and Haut R.  “Punched With a Fist: The Etiology of a Depressed Cranial Fracture”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 48, No. 2, 277-281.
  • 2003 Fenton TW, Birkby WH, and Cornelison JC.  “A Fast and Safe Nonbleaching Method for Forensic Skeletal Preparation”. Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 48, No. 2, 274-276.
  • 1999 Soren D., Fenton T. and W. Birkby, The Infant Cemetery at Poggio Gramignano: Description and Analysis. In David and Noelle Soren eds. A Roman Villa and a Late Roman Infant Cemetery, L’erma di Bretschneider, Roma.
  • 1998  Green, T., Cochran, B., Fenton, T., Titmus, G., Tieszen, L., Davis, M.A., and S. Miller. The Buhl Burial: A Paleoindian Woman from Southern Idaho. American Antiquity, July 1998.
  • 1995  Soren, D., Fenton, T. and W. Birkby.  The Late Roman Infant Cemetery Near Lugnano in Teverina, Italy: Some Implications. Journal of Paleopathology 7 (1): 13-42.