Osteology is the
scientific study of bones, practiced by
osteologists. A subdiscipline of
anatomy,
anthropology, and
archaeology, osteology is a detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements,
teeth, microbone
morphology, function,
disease,
pathology, the process of
ossification (from
cartilaginous molds), the resistance and hardness of bones (
biophysics), etc. often used by scientists with identification of vertebrate remains with regard to
age,
death,
sex,
growth, and
development and can be used in a biocultural context. Osteologists frequently work in the public and private sector as consultants for museums, scientists for research laboratories, scientists for medical investigations and/or for companies producing osteological reproductions in an academic context, such as
Bone Clones.