McClung Museum opened a Forensic Anthropology exhibit on Jan. 19 that has everything from real human bones to pictures of decomposing bodies.

Lee Meadows Jantz, an anthropology professor and coordinator for the Forensic Anthropology Center, also known as the "body farm" has been involved with the exhibit from the start.We have the largest collection of modern Americans and it's getting bigger all the time. There are over 1000 people on file for future donations.  Lee Meadows Jantz, anthropology professor and Forensic Anthropology Center coordinator

The idea for a forensic anthropology exhibit was first proposed in late summer of 2007, and the design was laid out in mid-fall at which point professors and students began to set aside specimens for the display Jantz said.

The exhibit will show examples of body identification methods and how information about the body can be gathered.

"As forensic anthropologists, one of the first things we determine is whether a bone is human or non-human, we look then at growth and development and what stage of life they're in. We determine the sex, age and ancestry, stature and then we look at trauma and disease," Jantz said.

The exhibit will showcase examples of each of these factors in addition to dental identification and facial reconstruction, which is a last resort for identification Jantz said.

One display shows a crime scene and  the steps the forensic scientist goes through to identify the body and preserve the scene, complete with a life-size floor picture.

As coordinator for the Forensics Anthropology Center, Jantz is responsible for body donations. Most are unclaimed bodies from hospitals, but a good number of them are bodies that have been donated to science Jantz said.

"The state of Tennessee has a law that permits donation of those unclaimed bodies to science. We have the largest collection of modern Americans and it's getting bigger all the time. There are over 1000 people on file for future donations," Jantz said.

 The exibit is open to the public from Jan. 19 to May 7.