The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has released more details about a human skull found on March 19 in Griffith Park.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has determined the skull found in Griffith Park was from a woman who was 20 to 60 years old. (photo by Edwin Folven)

A forensic anthropologist examined the skull on Sunday and determined it belonged to a woman who was 20 to 60 years old. Coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter said the next step will be for investigators to extract DNA for testing. Winter added that authorities surmise the skull had been in the park from one to 10 years.

“They are trying to match it,” Winter said. “We don’t know if it is connected to a homicide or a hiker who wasn’t reported missing or a homeless person. It could be months or years [that is was in Griffith Park].”

Winter said hikers found the skull near a trail in Brush Canyon, located between the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign. The hikers reported the skull to authorities shortly before 1 p.m. on March 19.

Authorities searched the surrounding area, and Winter confirmed that no other body parts were found.

He added that the manner in which the skull was positioned – in the brush away from the trail – led authorities to surmise that an animal may have dug it up and brought it to the location where it was found. Winter said there are no visible signs of foul play.

“We are going to see if we can get DNA and match it up with a possible missing person,” he added. “There are a lot of questions. We are trying to figure out who this person is.”