Sauer, Norman J.
(Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1974)
Professor
Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology
Director, MSU Forensic Anthropology Lab
Adjunct Professor, Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Adjunct Curator, MSU Museum
nsauer@msu.edu

Dr. Sauer’s professional career has focused on bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology.  His bioarchaeology projects involve mainly prehistoric and early historic populations in the upper Great Lakes although he has recently been working on pre-Columbian human remains from Costa Rica. 

Dr. Sauer has served the state and national forensic community since the mid 1970s.  He has assisted with hundreds of cases and appeared in court as an expert witness over 40 times.  As a member of the Disaster Mortuary Response Team (DMORT) he was deployed to New York City and then to Shankesville Pennsylvania in the days after 9/11/01.  In 2007 he received the T. Dale Stewart Award for lifelong achievement in physical anthropology.  Dr. Sauer has trained forensic professionals around the US and in 5 other countries.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Dr. Sauer’s publications in forensic anthropology have involved the concept of race and assessment of ancestry, the timing of injuries with respect to death and the assessment of skeletal evidence for trauma.

A few recent publications include:

• Fenton, T.W., A.N. Heard and N.J. Sauer. Skull-Photo Superimposition and Border Deaths: Identification Through Exclusion and Failure to Exclude.  Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol.53(1):34-40. 2008
• Battista, R.A, J.M. Pivarnik, G.M. Dummer, N. Sauer and R.M. Malina. Comparisons of Physical Characteristics and Performances among Female Collegiate Rowers. Journal of Sports Sciences, vol.25(6):651-57. 2007.
• Megyesi, M.S., D.H. Ubelaker and N.J. Sauer. Test of the Lamendin Aging Method on Two Historic Skeletal Samples.  American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol.131(3):363-67. 2006.
• Koot, M.G., N.J. Sauer, T.W. Fenton. Radiographic Human Identification Using Bones of the Hand.  J. of Forensic Sciences, vol.50(2):263-268. 2005
• Sauer, N.J., W.A. Lovis, M.E. Blumer and J. Fillion. The Contributions of Archaeology and Physical Anthropology to the John McRae Case. In: D.W. Steadman (ed.). Hard Evidence: Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology.  Prentice Hall, pp.117-126. 2002.
• Nelson, D.A., N.J. Sauer and S.C.  Agarwal. Evolutionary Aspects of Bone Health. Clinical Reviews in Bone and Mineral Metabolism, vol.1:169-179. 2002.
• Sauer, N.J. and Wendy L. Lackey.  Skeletal Analysis. In: The Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences (J. Siegel, ed.), pp.261-270. Academic Press. 2000.
• Sauer, N.J.  The Timing of Injuries and Manner of Death: Distinguishing among Antemortem, Perimortem and Postmortem Injuries. In: Forensic Osteology II, (K. Reichs, ed.), Springfield, Charles C. Thomas. 1998.