Individualization Flashcards
What are three additional methods that are sometimes used in forensic anthropology?
facial reconstruction, assessing handedness, and estimating body weight
Why is individualization important?
can increase the likelihood of a match between human remains and a missing person file
Increased information equals…
increased success
What three things does facial reproduction involved?
clay sculpting, artist drawings, and computer graphics
What is the goal of facial reproduction?
to recreate the appearance of the person’s face in life
True or False: facial reproduction only ever involved modern technology
False; dates back to the late 1800s
How does facial reproduction work?
skin thickness is measured at various landmarks do create a standard used for other skulls
Why error can occur in facial reproduction?
skin thickness differences due to decomposition,
inward deformation at point of insertion,
difficulty with finding landmarks,
lack of diversity
What is the larger significance of facial reproduction?
makes the decedent real to the public; is usually used to fish for leads- not as evidence
Is facial reproduction usually used as evidence in court cases?
No
Who first argued that handedness can be estimated? When?
T.D. Steward (1979)
How is handedness generally estimated?
By observing which side of the skeleton has the largest, most robust bones.
Why is handedness difficult to estimate in a forensic context?
studies are inconsistent,
there are various definitions of handedness,
current methods are NOT more accurate then simply guessing right-handed,
not recorded in medical records
Estimating body mass is relatively ____.
new
Estimating body mass combines knowledge of ____ and ____.
biomechanics; pathology
What two relavent components make up pathology?
emaciation and obesity
What characteristics signals emaciation?
hypertrophic pathologies, low bone mineral densitites
What characteristics signal obesity?
DISH, osteoarthritis, trauma to knee
What is assessed for biomechanics analysis?
cross sectional area of the femur, bone mineral density
How is body weight estimation done?
through the use of heigh-weight charts
Cremation of the dead dates back to ____.
antiquity
What are the five steps to cremation?
- body placed in receptacle like wooden casket or heavy cardboard container
- temperatures of 1500-1600F created by air jets, run for hours and hours
- after cremains cool, a magnet is used to remove metal objects
- cremains are mechanically pulverized
- cremains transferred to urn or other container
Why has there been an increased interest in research cremation?
due to the increased use of cremation in the US in the last 20 years
What is the purpose of research cremation through a forensic context?
attempting to address instances of mishandling remains
Why is researching cremation difficult?
the insane heat and mechanical reduction
What are the goals of cremation analysis?
- confirm remains are human
- confirm remains represent 1 individual
- establish remains most likely belonged to a particular individual
Is the goal of cremation analysis to identify the decendent?
No
What are the three steps to cremation analysis?
- total weight (correlation exists btwn living weight a cremation weight)
- miscroscopic analysis of osseous (bones/teeth) materials
- microscopic analysis of nonosseous materials
Is DNA involved in cremation analysis?
No! (too hot!)
What are osseous characteristics?
degree of color change,
amount of fragment versus ash,
lead and calcium content
What are nonosseous characteristics?
coffin hardware,
medical and dental artificats
