Impression Evidence Final

what is the function of the skin?

to assist in ability to grasp objects, to protect the body from the environment and against fluid loss, to aid thermoregulation, and to filter for oxygen, nutrients, and waste products

what is one of the scientific principles of fingerprints?

the ridge arrangement on every finger of every person is different

what have studies done on identical twins' fingerprints show?

the fingerprints of identical twins are different, as are the prints of triplets, quadruplets, and quintpulets; fingerprinting has been found to be even more discriminating than DNA

is there sufficient detail around a permanent scar to allow a positive fingerprint identification?

there is sufficient detail

the epidermis layer of the skin where friction ridges are readily observed is composed of how many layer?

5 layers

how many days does it take for cells to reach the surface of the skin structure?

30 days

volar pads develop during which week of gestation?

during 6th week of gestation

during which week of gestation do fingers separate, the thumbs rotate into position, and creases start to appear?

during 10th week of gestation

what alters the growth of friction ridge skin in the volar pads and therefore alters the pattern?

tension and pressure

what is a type of fingerprint reproduction of the ridges of fingers in sweat or oily matter on an object which it has touched?

latent print

what does the statement "ridge arrangement on every finger of every person is different" refer to?

uniqueness

what are the characteristics of flexion creases?

they are attached to underlying structures, they are formed at the same time as ridges, and they can aid in the identification process

what are the key elements to permanence of fingerprints?

the adherence of epidermal cells to each other, the attachment of epidermis to the basement membrane zone, and the attachment of the basement membrane zone to the dermis

what are the basic premises of fingerprint development?

they develop on the fetus before birth, they are persistent throughout life, and they are unique and never duplicated

are the creases on the fingers, hands, and soles of the feet of use to the identification process?

yes, they are of use

what are the ridge characteristics that are compared for identification called?

minutiae

what are the types of fingerprint patterns?

loop, whorl, and arch

what kind of impression is often difficult to see and usually requires the application of powders or chemicals in order to make them readily visible for preservation as evidence?

latent print

how many individual ridge characteristics are commonly found on the average fingerprint, of which 8-16 can make an individual identification?

150 individual ridge characteristics

what fingerprint pattern is most commonly found on up to 60-65% of the population?

loops

what technique is the most commonly used method for enhancement of latent fingerprints?

powders

what means "visible to the naked eye"?

patent

as the skin ages, do ridges flatten due to atrophy and lose elasticity?

ridges flatten and lose elasticity with age

what does cell growth on the surface of the pad cause?

cell growth causes tension on the surface of the pad while causing compression on the inside

what is the IAFIS database system intended to be?

a conclusive fingerprint identification system

the average latent print contains how many points minutiae?

5-10 points

what percentage of sence have usable latent prints?

10%

what percentage of accuracy for identification and accuracy not to produce erroneous identification is produced by the ACE-V identification process?

94.2% accuracy for identification and 100% accuracy not to produce erroneous identification

approximately how many points of identfication are on palm prints?

500 points

what was man's first recognized "evidence" of a person or animal's passage?

foot and footwear impressions

how much knowledge about footwear impression evidence do courts have?

courts have limited knowledge about footwear evidence

regarding footwear and tire evidence, accumulated dust, residues, and blood on a firm substrate are what kind of transfers?

two dimensional transfers

regarding footwear and tire evidence, accumulated soil, mud, sand, and snow on a soft substrate are what kind of transfers?

three dimensional transfers

what are factors affecting the detail of footwear and tire evidence?

shoe sole or tire tread condition, moisture, degredation of impression before recovery, contaminants, movements and distortions, and receiving surface and conditions

what can footwear impressions not do?

footwear impressions cannot conclusively place an individual at a crime scene

what is not a recognized method for detectintg and visualizing footwear impressions?

superglue

what is necessary for proper footwear impression evidence examination?

the actual shoe if there is an existing photograph or test impression

what does a successful footwear examination depend on?

amount of detail retained in impression, expertise/methodology of examiner, and amount of detail recovered from the crime scene

in SWGTREAD terminology, what is the highest degree of assocation expressed in footwear and tire impression examination?

identification

what is the raised bar under the tire design that indicates tire usage?

wear indicators

what is the measurement from the center of a tire tread on one side of a vehicle to the center of a tire tread on the opposite side of the vehicle?

track width

what is the measurement from the front center of a wheel on the front of a vehicle to the center of the back wheel of the vehicle on the same side?

wheelbase

what is the circle made when the wheels are fully turned and complete a full round?

turning diameter

since tire tracks are variable in length and width, is an existing examination quality photograph of the tread pattern with overlapping photographs acceptable for recovery of tire track evidence?

yes, an existing examination quality photograph is acceptable

are front tire track width and rear tire width always the same?

no they are not always the same

when making 3D casting of tire tracks with dental stone, how big should the longest sections be to ensure getting the best possibilities for individual evidence?

typicaly 3 feet

how is footwear impression evidence frequently treated by investigators, attorneys, and the courts?

frequently undervalued

what can footwear impressions not do?

they cannot usually identify the owner of the shoe making the impression

what is not a recognized method for lifting footwear impression?

gel lifts, electrostatic lifts, mikrosil, and dental stone are all recognized methods

what factors affect details that can be recovered in the shoe and tire evidence?

sole or tire tread condition, contaminants and moisture, receiving surface type and condition, movement and distortion, and degredation of impression before recovery

patterns made on the soles of shoes change for every how many hours of continuous wear?

every 48 hours

most shoe and tire impressions are in what condition?

partial evidence and detailed retained ranges from poor to excellent

who wore Bruno Magli shoes at the scene of a notorious crime?

OJ Simpson

what is often the only physical evidence left at the crime scene?

footwear evidence

footwear evidence used in courts has existed since when?

1700s

when vehicles move in rear paths, which tire tracks are available?

rear tire tracks

what do footwear comparisons include?

include overlays and/or side by side comparisons along with replication of characteristics and proper documentation

is it acceptable to take a photo of a tire track or shoe print with a scale reference placed within the impression?

no

what are most forensics odontologists?

practicing dentists and members of a professional organization

what can forensic odontology help to determine?

individual identifcation, mass disaster identification, bite mark analysis, and dental malpractice

at what age do teeth begin to appear?

6 months of age

at what age should all teeth have emerged by?

age 3

how many deciduous teeth do humans have?

20

how many permanent teeth should adults have, including wisdom teeth?

32

between what ages should all baby teeth have been replaced?

7-21

what are the 4 types of teeth?

incisors, canines, premolars, molars

how many surfaces does each tooth have?

5

what is the hardest mineral in the human body that makes up teeth?

enamel

what might help teeth identification?

lifestyle factors like smoking

what was the first case of identification using teeth?

roman emperor Claudius used teeth to recognize beheaded mistress

what was the first US court case of identification using teeth?

1849, incinerated remains of George Parkman were identified using partial denture

what was the first case using dental records?

identification of victims of the Vienna Opera house fire in 1878

how many victims of the 9/11 attack were identified using teeth, DNA, jewelry, etc?

approximately half

why is bitemark evidence controversial?

skin is elastic and distortable, and oftentimes 10-20 minutes is all the time it takes for a bitemark to become distorted

how is bitemark evidence often taken by the court?

often questioned and overturned

what is bitemark evidence very helpful in?

excluding suspects and obtaining saliva for DNA evidence

what court case allowed human bite mark evidence into court?

Doyle v Texas (1952)

where is footwear and tire evidence used?

all countries

what are the inner two layers of the skin called?

dermis; papillary and reticular

what is below the dermis?

the hypodermis

what is below the hypodermis?

the basement membrane zone

what sweat glands are on hands and feet?

eccrine

what sweat glands are on hair follicles?

apocrine and sebaceous

at what layer do cells start?

basal layer

at what week of gestation do pads regress and ridges start to take shape?

11th week of gestation

at what week of gestation are there permanent patterns?

19th week of gestation