Forensic Anthropology and Odontology

Question 1

What is FA?

Answer 1

Application of the study of humans to legal or public concern

Question 2

How was anthropology used in the “bucky” case?

Answer 2

• anthropology used to determine the skull in the bucket was from a 50 year old, African American man
• Carbon dating estimates he dies in the 1680-1740s

Question 3

Why might remains not be forensically relevant?

Answer 3

• Archeological
• cemetery
• teaching skeletons
• religious or cultural relics

Question 4

What are the basics of the human skeleton

Answer 4

• 206, mostly paired, bones
• 4 main functions: support, motion, protection, growth
• bones vary due to age, height, sex, diet, disease

Question 5

How is the pelvis used in sex determination?

Answer 5

females have a wider, more circular opening and a wider public arch than males. Males opening is more square/sharp

Question 6

How is the skull used in sex determination?

Answer 6

• Cranial mass in males is bigger, deeper and more blocky, females is smaller and rounder
• female supraorbital margin is sharper and more narrow
• Male zygomatic (cheek) is more pronounced
• male mandible is square, female is rounder
• superciliary (eyebrow) is more pronounced in males

Question 7

How is the femur used in sex determination?

Answer 7

• in females, the pelvis moves weight to the lateral femoral head, decreasing angle between neck and shaft
• males have an almost right angle
• advantageous as it is easily preserved, disadvantageous as there population variations

Question 8

Is ancestry useful in anthro ID?

Answer 8

• there are some distinct characteristics, but it is not very straightforward

Question 9

How is stature estimated?

Answer 9

extrapolating data from the long bones (humerus and femur), y=mx+b

Question 10

How is age estimated

Answer 10

• uses bone porosity, bone density, dentition, auricular surface of ilium, sternal rid end
• accuracy decreases with age

Question 11

What are some of the challenges to FA

Answer 11

• assumptions on physical activity
• pathological conditions
• post-mortem distortions
• age groups

Question 12

What is forensic odontology

Answer 12

comparison of dental records with evidence

Question 13

Why are teeth durable evidence

Answer 13

• very slow change after death
• reflect conditions
• can vary (size, amount, position, work done)
• age determined based on amount of deciduous teeth and amount of wear

Question 14

How do teeth reflect conditions

Answer 14

• fillings, braces, extractions, drug use, disease
• more affluent persons may have more visible work done

Question 15

How are bite marks used

Answer 15

• compared with dental impressions
• vary based on medium, pressure, directionality and time

Question 16

Challenges with bite mark analysis

Answer 16

• due to variations, studies have show that answers vary from practitioner to practitioner