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Forensic Science > Exam Study Guide > Flashcards

Exam Study Guide Flashcards

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1
Q

What is forensic odontology?

A

Scientific application of dental knowledge to criminal and civil law

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2
Q

How is forensic odontology practiced generally?

A

Must have knowledge surrounding clinical dentistry and be able to apply that knowledge in a forensic context?

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3
Q

What are the unique features of teeth that may help in identification?

A

Individual tooth morphology
Variations in shape and size of the teeth
Restorations
Pathologies
Missing teeth
Wear patterns
Color and position of the teeth

Growth and development of the teeth in juveniles

In adults:
Dental wear
Periodontal condition
Dental coloration
Secondary dentine apposition
Root resorption
Root transparency

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4
Q

How many teeth are present in human dentition?

A

32 in adults
20 deciduous (in youngsters since they are missing three adult molars on each side)

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5
Q

How many forensic odontologists are currently practicing?

A

Nowadays: 81 active Board-Certified Forensic Odontologists in US and Canada

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6
Q

What can forensic odontology be used for?

A

Dental identification
Disaster Victim Identification
Dental Age Estimation
Human Abuse
Bitemark Analysis
Civil Litigation

Identification
Biological profile
Post-mortem interval
Bitemark analysis
Orthodontics

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7
Q

What is the process of becoming a forensic odontologist?

A

Standards and protocols
Experience (hands-on and often by shadowing a professional forensic odontologist)
Masters degree in Forensic Odontology
Degree in Odontology
Board certification

Expertise:
Dentistry background
Head/neck anatomy
Radiographic anatomy
Oral pathology
Dental restorative procedures

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8
Q

What are a few reasons why forensic odontology is important?

A

Forensic odontologists can estimate sex, age, and ancestry and provide a general description of the unidentified person during life

It is a fast and reliable way of identifying individuals in cases of severe decomposition, burned remains, or disaster victim identification (where time is of the essence)

The body’s hardest tissue is tooth enamel and teeth are specific to every individual, so it makes odontology a key aspect of the identification process

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9
Q

What is the definition of Forensic Anthropology?

A

Branch of Physical Anthropology which, for forensic purposes, deals with the identification of skeletal remains

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10
Q

What are the subfields of forensic anthropology? (OAT)

A

Forensic osteology
Forensic archaeology
Forensic taphonomy
*Outdoor crime scene reconstruction

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11
Q

Forensic osteology

A

Analysis of skeletal remains

Produce inventory of bones
Assess biological profile (chronological age, sex, stature, ancestry)
Personal identification
Notation and interpretation of skeletal trauma

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12
Q

Forensic archaeology

A

Archaeological excavation methods, principles, and practices useful to establish context (where and when things happened), association (linking evidence to other evidence and the scene and time frame), and chain of custody

** Locate and document the evidence (provenience, spatial distribution) properly

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13
Q

Forensic taphonomy

A

History of body and scene (not just the body) from time of deposition/death event, to time of analysis (1997)

Time since death (PMI)

Reconstruct the circumstances before, during, and after deposition

Discriminate the products of human behavior from those created by the earth’s biological, physical, chemical, and geological subsystems

NOW: refocus on reconstruction of past events at the scene

Requires scene AND laboratory information

And understanding of the effects of myriad forensic taphonomic agents on our evidence

** Used to understand the history of body and site from time of deposition to time of recovery (all potential agents altering the evidence . . . from decomposition, to insects and animals, to gravity, weather, and temperature, etc.)

Next, identify the impact of all NATURAL taphonomic agents on the body over the Forensic Taphonomic Interval

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14
Q

Outdoor Crime Scene Reconstruction

A

Recreate time surrounding death scene; provide hints related to cause, manner, and circumstances of death reconstructions

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15
Q

What are the subfields of anthropology and what subfield does forensic anthropology fall under?

A

Cultural anthropology
Linguistic anthropology
Biological anthropology (or Physical)
Archaeology . . .

Forensic anthropology falls under biological/physical anthropology

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16
Q

Important figures in forensic anthropology

A

Dr. Dirkmaat and T. Dale Stewart

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17
Q

Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat

A

Director of DAFS for 32 years

Trained as a biological anthropologist and archaeologist

Board-certified ABFA (50) in 1996

T. Dale Stewart Award winner for Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Anthropologist for Singapore and Puerto Rico

Consultant to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

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18
Q

What cases was Dr. Dirkmaat involved in? What aspect of forensic anthropology does he emphasize on?

A

1200 forensic anthropology cases since 1986 (more than 400 field recoveries)

Types of cases: Human vs. non human, searches, surface-scattered cases, buried body features, fatal fire scenes, mass disasters

Skeletal analyses of over 700 individuals

Emphasizes in forensic archaeology

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19
Q

T. Dale Stewart

A

Smithsonian Institution

Model forensic anthropologist

FBI walked over a box of bones for Stewart to review

Stewart provided biological profile, almost exclusively

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20
Q

History of Anthropology

A

Forensic anthropology used to only be concerned with dry bones

Bones shipped to forensic anthropologist after recovery by law enforcement, after forensic pathological examination, and often after clay reconstruction of facial features

Concerned primarily with providing basic biological parameters in attempt to narrow missing person’s list

No skeletal trauma analysis

No consideration of the scene or context

No contribution to cause, manner, or circumstances of death

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21
Q

Box-o-Bones methods and issues?

A

Forensic anthropologists consulting on cases of skeletonized, unidentified remains

Box of bones delivered to the lab

Focus on the bones: lab-based discipline almost exclusively focused on biological profile

No consideration of context to address other issues and very few cases

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22
Q

Previous methods in anthropology?

A

A box of bones is sent to the lab for a skeletal analysis with no consideration for the context (mainly just concerned with bio profile)

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23
Q

What is the role of forensic anthropologists?

A

Inventory and documentation
Biological profile
Determination of identity
Notation of skeletal trauma

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24
Q

Inventory and documentation

A

Determine each skeletal element to specific bone, and side

Determine each fragment to specific bone, portion, and side

Experts with highly altered bones: weathered, burned, pathological

25
Q

Biological Profile

A

Sex
Chronological Age
Ancestry
Stature

26
Q

Determination of identity

A

Unique features
Radiographic comparison

27
Q

Notation of skeletal trauma

A

Assessment of timing of damage: antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem
Blunt force vs. sharp force vs. gunshot

Knife cuts
Saw cuts
Gunshot impact
Blunt force
Sharp force

28
Q

Do forensic anthropologists determine manner and cause of death?

A

NO; only ME’s

29
Q

How do forensic anthropologists determine whether remains have forensic significance?

A

*Is it human or nonhuman?

Modern or ancient remains?

Based on context (and shape and density of the bones lol)

30
Q

Why do forensic anthropologists look a bio profile?

A

To get a general description of the individual . . .

31
Q

What are the three main types of skeletal trauma?

A

Blunt force trauma
Sharp force trauma
Gunshot force trauma

32
Q

Blunt force trauma

A

Slow loading force

Bone bends before fracturing

Bone is distorted: edges no longer match up

33
Q

Sharp force trauma

A

Cutting and incising in bone with knives, saws

34
Q

Gunshot force trauma

A

Fast loading of force

Bone shatters

Reconstruction successful

35
Q

What types of cases does Dr. Dirkmaat and the Mercyhurst team assist with?

A

Surface scatter and burials

36
Q

Methods for sex assessment?

A

Study the pelvis

Study the cranium

Study robusticity of the skeleton

Study the metrics (males bigger than females generally)

37
Q

Methods for age estimation?

A

Development of long bones

Development of the teeth

Cranial sutures

Pubic symphysis

Auricular surface

Rib ends

38
Q

Methods for stature estimation?

A

Mathematical:
Use of single or multiple elements
Relies on consistent relationship between bones and height

Anatomical:
Sum of ALL elements
Convert skeletal height to living height
Soft tissue conversion

39
Q

Methods for ancestry estimation?

A

Variation due to geographic regions

Basically, considered in the USA only

FORDISC computer program

Hefner’s morphoscopic approach

40
Q

What is the history of the field of toxicology and how has it been used in forensic science?

A

Toxicology is arguably the oldest scientific discipline, as the earliest humans had to recognize which plants were safe to eat

41
Q

What was the first documented use of toxicology?

A

???????

42
Q

What are other well-known examples of toxicology?

A

2700 BC – Chinese journals show the cataloging of food and fish poisons

1900s-1200 BC– Egyptian documents have directions for the collection, preparation and administration of more than 800 recipes, both medicinal and poisonous

800 BC– India writings contain Hindu medicines that show notes on both poisons and antidotes

50-100 AD– Greek physicians classify over 600 plant, animal, and mineral poisons “De Materia Medica”

50-400 AD– Romans use poisons for executions and assassinations (such as Socrates was executed using hemlock for his teaching of radical ideas to youth)

1200AD– Spanish rabbi, Maimonidies, writes a first-aid book for poisonings, Poisons and Their Antidotes

1493-1541 AD– Paracelsus is credited with being “the father of modern toxicology”

1713 AD– Italian physician Ramazzini publishes De Morbis Artificium (Disease of Workers)

1815 AD– Spanish physician, Orfila, establishes toxicology as a distinct scientific discipline

20th century– Paul Ehrlich develops staining influence on living organisms

20th century– Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring, which alarms public about the dangers of pesticides

43
Q

What is forensic toxicology?

A

Application of toxicology to the law

Use chemical analysis to determine causes and circumstances of death in a postmortem investigation

44
Q

Who practices forensic toxicology?

A

People who want to evaluate the bodily effects of drugs, contaminants, and other toxins

This work may be carried out in government, private industry, and universities as well as other research settings

Mechanistic toxicologists
Descriptive toxicologists
Clinical toxicologists
Environmental toxicologists
Regulatory toxicologists

45
Q

What is a drug?

A

Natural or synthetic substance that is used to produce psychological or physiological effects in humans or other higher order animals

46
Q

What does “dose” mean?

A

The amount of a chemical that gains access to the body

47
Q

What does “intoxication” mean?

A

Under the influence of drugs (driving under the influence of alcohol)

48
Q

Where do poisoning events most often occur?

A

90% happen in the home!

49
Q

What drug(s) is/are most used?

A

???????

50
Q

What drug is most widely available?

A

Alcohol?

51
Q

What drugs can be synthesized from opium?

A

Opioids (synthetic opioids)??

morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and heroin

52
Q

What scheduling classes do well-known drugs fall under?

A

Scheduling 1-5 (refer back to DRUGS flashcard set!!!!)

Five schedules of classification based upon:
Potential for abuse
Potential for physical and psychological dependence
Medical value

53
Q

What are the factors that can affect intoxication?

A

Body weight

Rate of absorption through stomach and small intestines directly into the blood stream

Influenced by presence/absence of food

Total time taken to consume the alcohol

Type of alcohol consumed- diluted/undiluted

The longer total time required for complete absorption, the lower will be the peak alcohol concentration

54
Q

What are factors that can affect the calculation of an individual’s BAC/BAL?

A

Legislative limits for DUI are different depending on country and jurisdiction

Uniform testing must be available to accurately determine BAC at time of arrest

There must be an allowable level of analytical inaccuracy at time of testing vs. time of arrest (Usually between 0.2g/L (g of alcohol per L of blood))

Generally, blood alcohol level drops about 15 to 20 mg/dL per hour

A person with a BAL of 120 mg/dL (1.2 g/L) would take 6 to 8 hours to reach a negligible level

55
Q

“The ______ makes the poison”

A

DOSE

56
Q

Symptoms that law enforcement might rely on to determine whether an individual is intoxicated?

A

Smell

Bloodshot eyes

Unusual behavior

Demeanor: flat, dull, excited

Unusually large/small pupils

Unusual eye movements

Impaired motor skills

57
Q

Chronic exposure?

A

Repeated for over 90 days

58
Q

Acute exposure?

A

Less than 24 hours in duration and usually entails just a single exposure

59
Q

Subcategories of exposure?

A

Subacute:
Repeated for up to 30 days

Subchronic:
Repeated for 30 to 90 days

Forensic Science (6 decks)

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