Forensic Chapter 14
Where are the four stages of epiphyseal Union?
(1) no growth plate; (2) growth plate exists but is not attached; (3) growth plate is attached but still identifiable; (4) growth plate is attached and smoothed over.
Explain how the symphyseal face on the is pubis changes as a person ages.
12. The symphyseal face first rubs together and smooths as a person ages, then later in life begins to break down.
Give a few examples of how skeletal remains may show the cause of the death
Bullet holes, cracked skull showing blunt force trauma, stabbing or cutting wounds that cut to the bone.
What is the difference between cause of death in manner of death
Cause of death = what caused death: Blunt trauma? Gunshot wound to the head? Heart disease?
How would the age of victims have been estimated
Epiphyseal union of iliac crest would have been the most accurate method for ages under 17-18.
When are the cranial structure completely closed
In males after age 35; in females after age 50.
What are the functions of the skeleton?
It provides structure and rigidity, protects soft tissue and internal organs, provides sites for muscle attachment, allows for movement, stores minerals, and houses sites that produce red blood cells.
Name three differences in the skull shape of the three anthropological racial groups
Negroid has a wide nasal aperture; Caucasoid has a long and narrow nasal aperture; Mongoloid has a rounded nasal aperature. Negroid has a rectangular palate; Caucasoid has a triangular palate; Mongoloid has a parabolic palate. Negroid has square orbits; Caucasoid has angular, oval orbits; Mongoloid has rounded orbits.
In the El mozote case study, all the skeletons were deposited at the same time. How would that have been determined
No intervening layers of material; same amount of weathering and aging; no more recent artifacts associated with death
Explain how high of an individual can be estimated from the skeleton
Tendons connect muscle to bone; ligaments connect bone to bone.
What are the functions of the skeleton
The height can be estimated if one or more of the long bones are present. Mathematical equations can be used to determine male or female height, knowing the length of a particular long bone
What bone best indicate gender
The os pubis, skull features, sometimes length of long bones.
How are animal bones different between tendons and ligaments?
They are different in size and shape. Microscopic examination shows that in animals the osteons form a regular pattern, but in humans the osteons are arranged in a more chaotic pattern.
What do anthropologists study?
They study human anatomy, variability, evolution, and culture
Explain how a forensic anthropologist may reconstruct of face on a skull
Tissue markers are glued to landmarks directly on the skull for tissue thickness; muscle insertion points are marked; eyes are mounted in the sockets, centered and at the proper depth; clay is applied to the skull, following the contours of the skull; various measurements are made to determine the nose thickness and length and the mouth thickness and width; the skull is covered with layers of skin; and details of the face are added.
What is the function of cranial sutures?
To allow for growth of the skull.
Using the bones from question seven if the different male and female
Using the os pubis, the subpubic angle is larger in females, the pubic body is wider in females, and females have a ventral arc. In the skull, the male has a more square chin, a wider zygomatic arch, a larger mastoid process, and a larger mandible than the female.
What can skeletal remains reveal about the identity of a person
Whether the remains are human, age, sex, race, when death occurred, sometimes cause of death, approximate height, anomalies, diseases.
