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FORB201 > Lecture 9 - Forensic Anthropology and Taphonomy > Flashcards

Lecture 9 - Forensic Anthropology and Taphonomy Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 5 stages of decomposition?

A
  • Fresh
  • Bloat
  • Active decay
  • Advanced decay
  • Skeletonised
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2
Q

How long is the body in the fresh stage of decomposition for?

A

From the moment of death to the onset of bloating

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3
Q

What occurs during the fresh stage of decomposition?

A
  • Rigor mortis
  • Livor mortis
  • Algor mortis
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4
Q

What occurs during the bloat stage of decomposition?

A
  • Epidermis slips off
  • Hair loosens, slips off with skin
  • Abdominal discolouration
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5
Q

What occurs during the active decay stage of decomposition?

A
  • Tissues and organs soften, degenerate then liquify
  • Foul odour
  • Body eventually collapses
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6
Q

What occurs during the advanced decay stage of decomposition?

A
  • Remaining flesh desiccates and shrinks
  • Surface tissue assumes leathery texture
  • Less pungent odor
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7
Q

What occurs during the skeletonised stage of decomposition?

A
  • Dry body now decays very slowly
  • May become completely skeletonised
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8
Q

What might happen instead if a body does not skeletonise?

A

Mummified

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9
Q

Which forensic agencies are involved for the skeletonised stages of decomposition?

Forensic agencies: forensic pathologists, fingerprint expert, DNA etc.

A
  • Forensic anthropologist
  • Odontologist
  • DNA
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10
Q

Definition of skeletonisation

A

Completion of soft tissue decomposition where only the hard tissues of the skeleton remains

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11
Q

Definition of forensic taphonomy

A

Study of the postmortem changes to human remains focusing largely on environmental effects

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12
Q

What are 5 disasters where forensic anthropologists were first required?

A
  • Hurricane Katrina
  • Pakistan earthquake
  • Asian Tsunami
  • London bombs
  • Sharm el Sheikh
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13
Q

What happens when you find a bone?

A

Most people call police and then they refer to pathologist, anthropologist or Iwis

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14
Q

What are the 6 anthropological protocols?

Anthropological protocols: Questions around the skeleton

A
  • Is it bone?
  • Is the bone human? Forensic context?
  • How many individuals?
  • Biological profile
  • Trauma and pathology?
  • Identifying characteristics?
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15
Q

How do we depetermine if bones are human or non human?

A
  • Maturity
  • Archetecture
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16
Q

How does maturity determine whether the bone is human or non human?

A
  • Growth and development (unfused epiphyses and other structures)
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17
Q

How does architecture determine whether the bone is human or non human?

A
  • Shape differences (biped vs quadruped)
  • Muscle rugosity
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18
Q

What are the components of biological profile?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Sex
  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Stature (height)
  • Trauma and pathology
  • Identifying characteristics
19
Q

How can we tell the sex of skeleton?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Pelvis (evolutionary)
  • Skull changes (non-evolutionary)
20
Q

What are the features of female pelvis that is different to a males?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Pelvis is greater than 90 degrees
  • Sacrum tilted back
  • Flared ilia (wider)
21
Q

What are the features of male pelvis that is different to a females?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Pelvis is less than 90 degrees
  • Sacrum tilted forward
  • Narrow ilia
22
Q

How is sex of the skeleton determined through skull changes?

Study These Flashcards
A

Males tend to have more muscle attachment

23
Q

How do we determine if the skeleton is a childs skeleton?

Study These Flashcards
A

Based on maturity and fusion of bones

24
Q

How do we determine if the skeleton is an adults skeleton?

Provide an example

Study These Flashcards
A

Based on degradation of surfaces e.g. pubic symphysis wearing down (no cushioning) as aging

25
How many ossification centers are there at birth? | How many bones are there
450
26
After fusion of bones when growing, how many bones are left?
206
27
What do we track when looking at the aging of skeleton?
- Ossificaion center development - Fusion
28
What is another way to estimate the age of a skeleton?
Dental eruption and development (relatively stable and accurate)
29
What are 5 skeletal trauma analysis?
- Timing of trauma (ante-, peri-, postmortem) - Force that caused trauma (blunt, sharp, projectile, misc) - Number of wounds - Sequence of wounds - Placement of wounds
30
What are 6 main concerns for a forensic anthropologist?
- Recovery and analysis of skeletonised humans for law enforcment agencies - Identification of victims (perimortem trauma and postmortem disturbances for presentation in court) - Antemortem pathology (victim identification; evidence of disease and trauma before death) - Perimortem trauma (evidence of trauma around the time of death "manner of death") - Postmortem trauma (disturbance after death) - Taphonomy (plants, animals, insects, or other natural forces that explain position/condition of body)
31
Long definition of forensic taphonomy
31
What are some environmental effects forensic taphonologists look at?
- Decomposition in soil and water - Interaction with plants, insects and other animals
32
What does forensic taphonomy help us with?
- The grave - The assailant - The remains
33
What are 5 taphonomic factors?
- Buried, concealed or burnt - Scavenging activity (trauma?) - Climate - Microorganisms - Insect activity
34
What to consider with buried, concealed or burnt bodies?
- Soil Ph, texture and moisture - Method (i.e. wrappings/clothes, coffin, lime, mass burial)
35
What happens when burials are used and a body disposal method?
- Less insects - Less scavengers - Deeper burials = slower decomposition - Shallower burials = ambient temperature leading to faster decompositon
36
What effects do moisture and soil textures have on body?
- Sandy soils drian moisture - Clay soils retain moisture - Adipocere formation
37
When does better vegetation occur?
When a body is buried without any wrappings (nutrients from body goes into soila and feeds plants)
38
What effects does cloth wrapping have on bodies?
- Inhibits decomposition - Prevents access to microorganisms - May promote adipocere formation
39
What effects does lime have on bodies?
- Restricts microbial activity - Highly alkaline pH - Slows decomposition and can cause preservation
40
What is rigor mortis?
Stiffening of the joints and muscles of a body a few hours after death
41
What would a body look like if the deceased burnt to death?
Pugilistic posture (curled up, some body parts would be less burnt e.g. palms of hand, inner elbow and knees)
42
What would a body look like if the deceased died before the fire burnt them?
Rigor mortis would probably have occured so body would be straight and tense

FORB201 (18 decks)

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