Forensic Anthropology

Question 1

forensic anthropology

Answer 1

study of human skeletal remains associated with events that are likely to lead to criminal proceedings

Question 2

5 major objectives of forensic anthroplogy

Answer 2

• locating and recovering remains
• interpret trauma
• positive identification
• ancestry, age, biology sex, height
• postmortem interval

Question 3

recovering crime scene excavation

Answer 3

• getting remains from ground
• very slow problems

Question 4

how to determine the number of individuals

Answer 4

• look at bones
• look at numbers for left and right femurs

Question 5

differences of human and animal bone

Answer 5

• human bone is more porous
• human cortical bone typically is a smaller proportion of the diameter
• humans have more trabecular bone

Question 6

osteon banding in humans vs animals

Answer 6

• human osteon banding is circular
• animal osteon banding is linear

Question 7

positive body identification

Answer 7

• xray
• medical condition
• DNA
• dentition

Question 8

determination of sex

Answer 8

• consider multiple features
• more obvious in adult skeletal remains

Question 9

best bones to determine sex

Answer 9

pelvis

Question 10

second best bone to determine sex

Answer 10

skull

Question 11

male skull vs female skull

Answer 11

• male skull is larger, heavier
• large areas for muscle attachments

Question 12

determination of age from bones: age 0-5

Answer 12

teeth are best (forensic odontology)

Question 13

determination of age from bones: ages 6-25

Answer 13

epiphyseal fusion

Question 14

epiphyseal fusion

Answer 14

fusion of bone ends to bone shaft

Question 15

determination of age from bones: ages 25-40

Answer 15

very hard

Question 16

determination of age from bones: 40+

Answer 16

• periodontal disease
• arthritis
• breakdown of pelvis
• occupational stress

Question 17

primary teeth

Answer 17

• whiter crown color
• smaller overall size
• prominent cervical ridge
• narrower roots

Question 18

permanent teeth

Answer 18

• yellower crown color
• larger overall size
• wider roots

Question 19

hyaline cartilage

Answer 19

smooth surface for joints

Question 20

compact bone

Answer 20

very strong bone

Question 21

cancellous bone

Answer 21

where new cartilage is made and where red marrow is found

Question 22

epiphyseal plate

Answer 22

where new cartilage turns to bone

Question 23

medullary cavity

Answer 23

where the yellow fatty marrow is stored

Question 24

how is the epiphyseal line is formed

Answer 24

when bones cease growing, the cartilage is replaced by bone

Question 25

why don’t bones grind at the joints?

Answer 25

articulating cartilage is found between the bones

Question 26

age of someone with an open Basilar suture

Answer 26

< 18

Question 27

estimating postmortem interval: stage 0

Answer 27

• tissue
• greasy
• no cracking

Question 28

estimating postmortem interval: stage 1

Answer 28

cracking parallel to fiber structure

Question 29

estimating postmortem interval: stage 2

Answer 29

outermost layers show flaking

Question 30

estimating postmortem interval: stage 3

Answer 30

bone is finely rough after outmost layers are gone

Question 31

estimating postmortem interval: stage 4

Answer 31

bone is largely rough and bone splinters

Question 32

estimating postmortem interval: stage 5

Answer 32

bone falling apart and very fragile

Question 33

examples of environmental reconstruction

Answer 33

• barnacles adhering to bone
• green algae stained bone