Forensic Anthro Exam #2 prep

What is NOT considered a good practice in a forensic anthropology lab?

sharp metal tools are regularly used to remove flesh from bones

A skeleton is transferred from the Medical Examiner’s Office to the Human Identification Lab. During trial preparation, the defense attorney (lawyer) argues that multiple individuals handled the remains before analysis but their names were not recorded on the case file.

Which lab failure would most directly weaken the admissibility (whether the court includes the evidence) of the evidence?

Failure to maintain a documented chain of custody

A new lab assistant uses metal forceps and household bleach to speed up cleaning of partially decomposed remains. Later, fine linear (line-like) marks are observed on the surface of several bones.

What is the most likely problem created by this approach?

The metal tools and bleach may introduce artificial damage and chemical alteration

What factors cause variations in bones and teeth that allow us to distinguish between human and non-human remains?

body weight, diet (the kinds of food an animal eats), locomotion (the way an animal walks/moves)

Which of the following skeletal elements would immediately indicate that remains are non-human?

Unfused eye orbits, Presence of a baculum, Presence of caudal vertebrae

Size, shape, and muscle markings on the skeleton can help forensic anthropologists distinguish human from non-human bones.

True

Which of the following animal bones is NOT often mistaken for a human bone?

cow femur

How do you properly take custody of evidence?

By maintaining chain of evidence.

What is the chain of custody?

It is the recording of the movement/location the evidence from the time obtained until presented in court.

What should specifically be logged on the Chain of Custody?

All the materials and people who handed the evidence.

Who initially takes custody of the evidence?

The medical examiner or police department

After the evidence makes its initial round at the police dept or medical examiner’s office, where does it go? (for analysis)

The Human ID Lab

After the Human ID Lab finishes looking at the evidence, where does it go?

Back to the medical examiner’s office.

What happens when the evidence arrives to the Forensics Lab?

Initial documentation of condition, paperwork, photographs of the box (inside and out), and assign it a distinctive number.

What is the process of properly documenting a case?

1. Log down what type of remains (cranium, non-human, etc), tentative ID, suspected trauma, place/agency of origin.

2. Process the logs by indicating which procedures are needed to be used on the specific case. (helps keep track of who did what and when)

3. File the cases, keep a master record of every one.

What are the requirement for a Forensic Lab

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