Lecture 9 - Forensic Anthropology & Taphonomy

Question 1

What are the 5 different stages of decomposition?

Answer 1

Fresh
Bloat
Active Decay
Advanced Decay
Skeletonised

Question 2

What happens during the fresh stage of decomposition?

Answer 2

From the moment of death to the onset of bloating (This is where rigor mortis > livor mortis > algor mortis happens)

Question 3

What happens during the bloat stage of decomposition?

Answer 3

Epidermis slips off, hair will loosen and slip off with skin, abdominal discolouration

Question 4

What happens during the active decay stage of decomposition?

Answer 4

Tissues and organs soften and degenerate then liquefy, foul odour, and body eventually collapses - body breaks down via enzymatic processses

Question 5

What happens during the advanced decay stage of decomposition?

Answer 5

Remaining flesh desiccates and shrinks, surface tissue assumes leathery texture, and less pungent odour

Question 6

What happens during the skeletonised stage of decomposition?

Answer 6

Dry body now decays very slowly, and may become completely skeletonised - differs between environment (warm, temperate climate has skeletonisation)

Question 7

What stage of decomposition does the forensic anthropologist look at?

Answer 7

Skeletonised

Question 8

What are the levels of identification?

Answer 8

Primary
- Three (1. Fingerprints, 2. Dental, 3. DNA)
Secondary
- Anthropology/disease/injury/scars/unique tattoos
Tertiary
- Unique clothing, jewellery
Circumstantial
- Documentation, face, generic tattoos, clothing, jewellery

Question 9

What forensic agencies are involved for human identification whilst the body is in the fresh stage of decompostion?

Answer 9

FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST | FINGERPRINT EXPERT | DNA | ODONTOLOGIST

Question 10

What forensic agencies are involved for human identification whilst the body is in the bloat stage of decompostion?

Answer 10

FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST | FINGERPRINT EXPERT | DNA | ODONTOLOGIST

Question 11

What forensic agencies are involved for human identification whilst the body is in the active decay stage of decompostion?

Answer 11

FINGERPRINT EXPERT | DNA | ODONTOLOGIST

Question 12

What forensic agencies are involved for human identification whilst the body is in the advanced decay stage of decompostion?

Answer 12

FINGERPRINT EXPERT? | DNA | ODONTOLOGIST

Question 13

What forensic agencies are involved for human identification whilst the body is in the skeletonised stage of decompostion?

Answer 13

FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST | ODONTOLOGIST | DNA?

Question 14

What does skeletonisation refer to?

Answer 14

Refers to the completion of soft tissue decomposition, where only the hard tissues of the skeleton remain

Question 15

What is taphonomy?

Answer 15

When the skeleton itself undergoes post-mortem changes

Question 16

What can the forensic anthropologist determine?

Answer 16

Life of single individual and death
Individual biological profile - age, sex, ancestry (maybe), height, time of death, traumas suffered and healed, how long before death injury occurs, individual bone characteristics (marks)

Question 17

What is a part of the anthropological protocol?

Answer 17

Is it Bone?
Is the Bone Human? Forensic Context?
How Many Individuals?
Biological Profile:
- Sex
- Age-at-Death
- Ancestry
- Stature
Trauma and Pathology?
Identifying Characteristics?

Question 18

What makes our skeleton different to other mammals?

Answer 18

All mammals essentially have same structure - bipedal differs how our skeleton looks to other mammals

Question 19

How can a forensic anthropologist determine the difference between human and non human remains?

Answer 19

Maturity (growth and development)
- unfused epiphyses and other structures
Architecture (shape differences and muscle rugosity)
- biped vs quadruped

Question 20

What natural factors can exhume and move remains?

Answer 20

Climate change and erosion

Question 21

Why must a forensic anthropologist determine whether the remains have a forensic or historic context?

Answer 21

Some remains can be exhumed naturally opposed to forensic reasons

Question 22

What components make up a forensic anthropologist’s biological profile?

Answer 22

Sex
Age
Ancestry
Stature (height)
Trauma and Pathology
Identifying Characteristics

Question 23

Why must a forensic anthropologist seperate all bones and fragments?

Answer 23

As there may be more than one individual
(For fragment ID need to know skeletal anatomy to see whether human of non human)

Question 24

What are sex differences in the pelvis?

Answer 24

Female: >90 pelvic angle, sacrum tilted back, flared ilia
Male: <90 degree pelvic angle, sacrum tilted forward, narrow ilia

Question 25

Why is the pelvis used to identify sex?

Answer 25

As differences in pelvis is evolutionarily driven

Question 26

How can a forensic anthropologist estimate age?

Answer 26

Children: Based on maturity and fusion of bones.
- 410 bones
Adults: Based on degradation of surfaces.
- 206 bones

Question 27

What is subadult age estimation?

Answer 27

~450 ossification centers at birth
Eventually fuse to become 206 bones in adulthood
Track ossification center development and fusion for
aging.
- Can track non-adult age within a couple of months

Question 28

How can teeth be used for subadult aging and what are its shortcomings?

Answer 28

Dental eruption and development - relatively stable and accurate
Teeth more genetically controlled
Growth can be stunted due to environmental factors