Human Remains - Quiz 1

Forensic Anthropolgy

The application of biological anthropological knowledge and methos to medico-legal applications

Biological anthropoplogy

the study of humans as biological organism, in this case focusing on the human skeleton

medico-legal

a branch of medicine, especially pathology, that deals with the legal aspects of the death certificate like decedent identity, manner of death, and cause of death

Forensic anthropology applications

search & recovery, identification of the deceased, identify & describe trauma and interpret the circumstances of trauma

Osteology

the study of the bones of the skeleton, including names, location, articulation (joints), features

Bones in Human skeleton

206

Skull

cranium & mandible

postcranial

axial (skull too), appendicular

Elements are what?

bones

axial skeleton

skull, vertebral column, sternum, ribs, sacrum

appendicular skeleton

pectoral girdle, clavicle, scapula, arms, hands, pelvic girdle, legs, feet

Superior

towards the head

inferior

closer to the feet

posterior/dorsal

back of the body

anterior/ventral

front of the body

medial

position closes to midline

lateral

further from the midline

proximal

closer to where the limb attaches to the body

distal

further from where the limb attaches to the body

left

skeletons left

right

skeletons right

mideline

imaginary vertical line that divides body into equal left and right parts

Planes of the body?

sagittal/parasagittal, frontal/coronal, horizontal/transverse

sagittal plane

vertical plane that divides the body into equal left and right sides

parasagittal plane

vertical plane that is offset from the center, creating unequal left and right sides

frontal/coronal plane

front to back

horizontal/transverse

top to bottom

Identification hierarchy questions?

is it bones?, is it human?, is it forensically relevant?, who is it?

medicolegal significance

related to both medicine and law, if interest in a medicolegal death investigation

What to look at to determine if it is human?

morphology, maturity, microscopic differnences

morphology

shape & size

maturity

fusion of growth plates

microscopic differences

type of bones cells present

Forensically relevant? YES

recent (less than 50 years), unmarked or clandestine (hidden), burial

Forensically relevant? Taphonomy

the “laws of burial”; typically the state of preservation (affect the appearance, quality, and preservation of the remains.

Forensically relevant? Contextual

where something was found

Forensically relevant? biocultural

diet and food preparation practices & dental wear

Biological Profile

age, stature, sex, ancestry

BP Age: Juvenile

growing/developing, easier to age, change faster & regularly

BP Age: adult

degenerating, slower & less consistent

BP Age: Juvenile Long Bones

Diaphysis forms first, epiphyses form and fuse at known ages, most portions fuse together during teenage years

BP Age: Juvenile Dental Development

Deciduous (baby teeth), teeth form at known ages

Humans have how many set of teeth

deciduous teeth, permanent teeth

BP Age: Adult Degenerative Changes

arthritis, osteophyytic lipping, dental changes, joint changes (neck, behind mandible, public symphysis)

BP Sex

Skull, pelvis, long bones (Juveniles DO NOT have sexual dimorphism/appearances)

BP Gender: Females

smaller, gracial/smooth

BP Gender: Males

larger, more robust/rough muscle attachment sites

Skull Traits to Estimate Sex

nuchal crest, mastoid process, superorbital margin, superorbital ridge (browridge), mental eminence

most accurate for estimating sex?

pelvic characteristics

Pelvic traits to estimate sex

ventral arc (triangle in females), subpubic concavity, pubic ramus (thinner in females)

Sex: long bones measurments

bone ends

stature methods

anatomical & mathmatical

Stature: Anatomical Method

measure all the skeletal elements contributing to stature

stature: mathematical method

measure one long bone, use formula to estimate stature

Ancestry

Main are European, African, and Asian | Controversial (no biological races)

Ancestry: Skull Traits

orbital shape, nasal bone shape, nasal aperture (width), inferior nasal aperture, anterior nasal spine

Trauma Analysis Types

antemortem (before death/signs of healing), perimortem (at or around TOD/no signs of healing)

Perimortem truama

blunt force trauma (low velocity), sharp force trauma, projectile (high velocity)

Postmortem Condition

taphonomy, postmortem damage, thermal trauma

Who is it? Investigative Roles

medicolegal investigators determine possible matches, medical examiners help with: visual identification, dental radiography, medical radiography, fingerprints, DNA

Articulation (joint)

two bones articulate at an articulation; each has an articular surface, allows some movement in the postcranial skeleton

Suture (Joint)

int he skull ONLY, the articulation between 2 bones; little or no movement, fused in older adults

Foramen

a hoel through which an artery, nerve, a vein, or multiple may pass

Fossa

a dip or a hollow in bone. a concave area

Words that mean bump

eminence, process, protuberance, projection, tubercle, trochanter, tuberosity, epicondyle (near a condyle/joint)