Douglas W. Owsley , Ph.D. ( born July 21 , 1951 ) is an American anthropologist who is the current Head of Physical Anthropology at the Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History ( NMNH ) . He is widely regarded one of the most prominent and influential archaeologists and forensic anthropologists in the world in some popular media . In September 2001 , he provided scientific analysis at the military mortuary located at Dover Air Force Base , following the 9/11 attack in Washington D.C . The following year , the US Department of Defense honored him with the Commander 's Award for Civilian Service for helping in the identification of 60 federal and civilian victims who died when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon
American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77
Douglas W. Owsley