Northeastern Junior College forensic anthropolgy students get hands on with alligator

STERLING ? There were no cards or flowers or candy to be found at the greenhouse at Northeastern Junior College on Thursday, just a dead alligator. Forensic anthropology students spent their Valentine's Day performing a necropsy on the alligator to determine how it died.

Instructor Jeff Schiel said that while he has done necropsies before this was the first time he used an alligator.

Hands-on experience is something he strives to provide his students. Last fall, for the third year NJC's criminal justice and anthropology students participated in a crime scene excavation, with a deceased dog as the victim.

The alligator used for Thursday's lesson came from the Colorado Alligator Farm in Alamosa. One

Northeastern Junior College forensic anthropology students Jori Archer (right) and Erika Younpers work to find the different organs inside an alligator. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

of Schiel's students used to work at the farm.

?I told him if you talk them and they ever have a dead alligator, tell them to send it our way,? he said.

So when the farm found a dead alligator that's exactly what they did. Schiel said it was a quick process: He learned about the dead alligator just last week and opted to change around his lesson plans to give his students this unique experience.

Along with the forensic anthropology students, a few other interested students were able to participate as well.

The farm didn't tell the college anything about how the alligator died, so it was completely up to the students to determine. By the middle of the necropsy the students had already formed some opinions, maybe suicide.

To determine how the animal died they had to remove its organs and examine them and then remove the skin in order to examine the animal's bones.

The students definitely enjoyed the opportunity to get hands-on with their studies.

?It's awesome,? said Jori Archer.

Erika Younpers added that being able to get hands-on experience ?is probably the best way to learn about anything.?

Callie Jones: (970) 526-9286;

Northeastern Junior College criminal justice instructor Jeff Schiel holds up an alligator with its organs removed for his students to see. Forensic anthropology students performed a necropsy on the alligator to determine how it died. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

cjones@journal-advocate.com. Follow @CJones _JA on Twitter.

After removing one of the organs from the alligator the students look it over to try to determine what it is. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

Source: http://www.journal-advocate.com/sterling-local_news/ci_22591330/njc-forensic-anthropology-students-alligator-autopsy?source=rss_viewed

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