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FORB201 > Lecture 9 - Forensic Anthropology and Taphonomy > Flashcards

Lecture 9 - Forensic Anthropology and Taphonomy Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 5 stages of decomposition?

A
  • Fresh
  • Bloat
  • Active decay
  • Advanced decay
  • Skeletonised
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2
Q

How long is the body in the fresh stage of decomposition for?

A

From the moment of death to the onset of bloating

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3
Q

What occurs during the fresh stage of decomposition?

A
  • Rigor mortis
  • Livor mortis
  • Algor mortis
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4
Q

What occurs during the bloat stage of decomposition?

A
  • Epidermis slips off
  • Hair loosens, slips off with skin
  • Abdominal discolouration
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5
Q

What occurs during the active decay stage of decomposition?

A
  • Tissues and organs soften, degenerate then liquify
  • Foul odour
  • Body eventually collapses
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6
Q

What occurs during the advanced decay stage of decomposition?

A
  • Remaining flesh desiccates and shrinks
  • Surface tissue assumes leathery texture
  • Less pungent odor
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7
Q

What occurs during the skeletonised stage of decomposition?

A
  • Dry body now decays very slowly
  • May become completely skeletonised
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8
Q

What might happen instead if a body does not skeletonise?

A

Mummified

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9
Q

Which forensic agencies are involved for the skeletonised stages of decomposition?

Forensic agencies: forensic pathologists, fingerprint expert, DNA etc.

A
  • Forensic anthropologist
  • Odontologist
  • DNA
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10
Q

Definition of skeletonisation

A

Completion of soft tissue decomposition where only the hard tissues of the skeleton remains

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11
Q

Definition of forensic taphonomy

A

Study of the postmortem changes to human remains focusing largely on environmental effects

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12
Q

What are 5 disasters where forensic anthropologists were first required?

A
  • Hurricane Katrina
  • Pakistan earthquake
  • Asian Tsunami
  • London bombs
  • Sharm el Sheikh
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13
Q

What happens when you find a bone?

A

Most people call police and then they refer to pathologist, anthropologist or Iwis

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14
Q

What are the 6 anthropological protocols?

Anthropological protocols: Questions around the skeleton

A
  • Is it bone?
  • Is the bone human? Forensic context?
  • How many individuals?
  • Biological profile
  • Trauma and pathology?
  • Identifying characteristics?
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15
Q

How do we depetermine if bones are human or non human?

A
  • Maturity
  • Archetecture
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16
Q

How does maturity determine whether the bone is human or non human?

A
  • Growth and development (unfused epiphyses and other structures)
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17
Q

How does architecture determine whether the bone is human or non human?

A
  • Shape differences (biped vs quadruped)
  • Muscle rugosity
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18
Q

What are the components of biological profile?

A
  • Sex
  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Stature (height)
  • Trauma and pathology
  • Identifying characteristics
19
Q

How can we tell the sex of skeleton?

A
  • Pelvis (evolutionary)
  • Skull changes (non-evolutionary)
20
Q

What are the features of female pelvis that is different to a males?

A
  • Pelvis is greater than 90 degrees
  • Sacrum tilted back
  • Flared ilia (wider)
21
Q

What are the features of male pelvis that is different to a females?

A
  • Pelvis is less than 90 degrees
  • Sacrum tilted forward
  • Narrow ilia
22
Q

How is sex of the skeleton determined through skull changes?

A

Males tend to have more muscle attachment

23
Q

How do we determine if the skeleton is a childs skeleton?

A

Based on maturity and fusion of bones

24
Q

How do we determine if the skeleton is an adults skeleton?

Provide an example

A

Based on degradation of surfaces e.g. pubic symphysis wearing down (no cushioning) as aging

25
Q

How many ossification centers are there at birth?

How many bones are there

A

450

26
Q

After fusion of bones when growing, how many bones are left?

A

206

27
Q

What do we track when looking at the aging of skeleton?

A
  • Ossificaion center development
  • Fusion
28
Q

What is another way to estimate the age of a skeleton?

A

Dental eruption and development (relatively stable and accurate)

29
Q

What are 5 skeletal trauma analysis?

A
  • Timing of trauma (ante-, peri-, postmortem)
  • Force that caused trauma (blunt, sharp, projectile, misc)
  • Number of wounds
  • Sequence of wounds
  • Placement of wounds
30
Q

What are 6 main concerns for a forensic anthropologist?

A
  • Recovery and analysis of skeletonised humans for law enforcment agencies
  • Identification of victims (perimortem trauma and postmortem disturbances for presentation in court)
  • Antemortem pathology (victim identification; evidence of disease and trauma before death)
  • Perimortem trauma (evidence of trauma around the time of death “manner of death”)
  • Postmortem trauma (disturbance after death)
  • Taphonomy (plants, animals, insects, or other natural forces that explain position/condition of body)
31
Q

Long definition of forensic taphonomy

A
31
Q

What are some environmental effects forensic taphonologists look at?

A
  • Decomposition in soil and water
  • Interaction with plants, insects and other animals
32
Q

What does forensic taphonomy help us with?

A
  • The grave
  • The assailant
  • The remains
33
Q

What are 5 taphonomic factors?

A
  • Buried, concealed or burnt
  • Scavenging activity (trauma?)
  • Climate
  • Microorganisms
  • Insect activity
34
Q

What to consider with buried, concealed or burnt bodies?

A
  • Soil Ph, texture and moisture
  • Method (i.e. wrappings/clothes, coffin, lime, mass burial)
35
Q

What happens when burials are used and a body disposal method?

A
  • Less insects
  • Less scavengers
  • Deeper burials = slower decomposition
  • Shallower burials = ambient temperature leading to faster decompositon
36
Q

What effects do moisture and soil textures have on body?

A
  • Sandy soils drian moisture
  • Clay soils retain moisture
  • Adipocere formation
37
Q

When does better vegetation occur?

A

When a body is buried without any wrappings (nutrients from body goes into soila and feeds plants)

38
Q

What effects does cloth wrapping have on bodies?

A
  • Inhibits decomposition
  • Prevents access to microorganisms
  • May promote adipocere formation
39
Q

What effects does lime have on bodies?

A
  • Restricts microbial activity
  • Highly alkaline pH
  • Slows decomposition and can cause preservation
40
Q

What is rigor mortis?

A

Stiffening of the joints and muscles of a body a few hours after death

41
Q

What would a body look like if the deceased burnt to death?

A

Pugilistic posture (curled up, some body parts would be less burnt e.g. palms of hand, inner elbow and knees)

42
Q

What would a body look like if the deceased died before the fire burnt them?

A

Rigor mortis would probably have occured so body would be straight and tense

FORB201 (18 decks)

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