FIS – Exam 2 Study Guide and Practice Questions
Questions asked by forensic anthropologists - ANS✔✔ -Where is the grave?
-How can we safely remove and preserve the remains?
-Are these bones human?
-Are they forensically important/relevant?
-What can we tell about the identity of the person?
-What can we tell about the person's death?
Tasks of forensic anthropologists - ANS✔✔ 1. Locate remains
2. Recover remains
3. Determine if forensically important
4. Determine if remains are human
5. Develop a biological profile
Locating remains - ANS✔✔ 1. Visual detection
2. Ground penetrating radar
3. Cadaver dogs
4. Metal detector (cheaper than GPR)
5. Ground penetrometer
Ground penetrating radar - ANS✔✔ Looks for difference in density (bones are more dense than
soil)
Ground penetrometer - ANS✔✔ Ground will be fluffier if it has been previously dug up
,Recovery of remains - ANS✔✔ -Mapping
-Excavation
-Documentation
Mapping - ANS✔✔ Search the area and find all pieces of bone; the gravesite can be separated
into quadrants.
Excavation - ANS✔✔ Soil is sifted through to find evidence
Historical graves - ANS✔✔ Graves that are older than 60-70 years; no one will be prosecuted for
that crime.
Forensically important graves - ANS✔✔ Any graves less than 60-70 years
Native American graves - ANS✔✔ 200+ years
Biological profile - ANS✔✔ -Estimates the sex, age, and race of an individual set of remains.
-Looking at the bones, comparing them to know growth patterns and development, and giving a
best estimate.
Morphology - ANS✔✔ The shape of our bones
How many bones in an adult human body? - ANS✔✔ 206
Bones that are most important for determining human remains: - ANS✔✔ -Cranium (Big brain
case, big eyes, relatively small nose and teeth)
-Pelvis (tipped forward, somewhat large)
,-Scapula (shoulder blade)
-Femur (Has an elongated head with a divot in it to attach to the pelvis)
-Humerus (upper arm)
Under 20-25 years old, forensic anthropologist are looking at the _______ of our bones. -
ANS✔✔ Development
Over 25 years old, forensic anthropologists are looking at the _______ of bones. - ANS✔✔
Breakdown
Humans are born with about ______ ossification centers. - ANS✔✔ 405
The speed of _______ in our bones can demonstrate age. Bones that aren't completely _______
are filled with _________ between the spaces. - ANS✔✔ Fusing; fused, cartilage
-For younger people under the age of about 9, the best indicator of age are the _______ and
_______. - ANS✔✔ Hands and feet
_________ are another very useful age indicator for children. - ANS✔✔ Teeth
Why are the hands and feet good indicators of age in children? - ANS✔✔ The hands and feet
have many tiny little bones prior to fusing. The more little bones a set of remains has, the
younger the child.
Why are the teeth good indicators of age in children? - ANS✔✔ Children have two sets of teeth,
with their adult one above their baby teeth, waiting to come in.
Sutures - ANS✔✔ The gaps in the bones of the skull that allow it to expand and grow. Over
time, these sutures fill with bone.
, Cranial suture scoring - ANS✔✔ Determining the age of a person based on the
presence/development of sutures.
Stage 1 sutures - ANS✔✔ Spaces will be filled less than 25% with bone, or with no bone at all.
Stage 2 sutures - ANS✔✔ Sutures are still present; some are still stage 1, while others are filled
with bone
Stage 3 sutures - ANS✔✔ Sutures are completely filled with bone; sutures are not visible.
Other estimators of age (2) - ANS✔✔ -Sternal rib ends
-Pubic symphysis
Sternal rib ends - ANS✔✔ Breathing causes the ends of the ribs to rub against cartilage, causing
the cartilage to deteriorate.
(This cartilage is in the front of the sternum and allows the chest to expand and contract as you
breathe)
Pubic symphysis - ANS✔✔ -Located in the front of the pelvis, where the two halves are
connected by cartilage.
-With every step taken, this cartilage is deteriorating in the pelvis.
Good indicators of sex in a skeleton - ANS✔✔ -Pelvis (Subpubic angle, inlet, sciatic notch, and
tailbone)
-Skull (Brow bones, mastoid processes, jaws)
Female pelvis - ANS✔✔ -U-shaped subpubic angle
Questions asked by forensic anthropologists - ANS✔✔ -Where is the grave?
-How can we safely remove and preserve the remains?
-Are these bones human?
-Are they forensically important/relevant?
-What can we tell about the identity of the person?
-What can we tell about the person's death?
Tasks of forensic anthropologists - ANS✔✔ 1. Locate remains
2. Recover remains
3. Determine if forensically important
4. Determine if remains are human
5. Develop a biological profile
Locating remains - ANS✔✔ 1. Visual detection
2. Ground penetrating radar
3. Cadaver dogs
4. Metal detector (cheaper than GPR)
5. Ground penetrometer
Ground penetrating radar - ANS✔✔ Looks for difference in density (bones are more dense than
soil)
Ground penetrometer - ANS✔✔ Ground will be fluffier if it has been previously dug up
,Recovery of remains - ANS✔✔ -Mapping
-Excavation
-Documentation
Mapping - ANS✔✔ Search the area and find all pieces of bone; the gravesite can be separated
into quadrants.
Excavation - ANS✔✔ Soil is sifted through to find evidence
Historical graves - ANS✔✔ Graves that are older than 60-70 years; no one will be prosecuted for
that crime.
Forensically important graves - ANS✔✔ Any graves less than 60-70 years
Native American graves - ANS✔✔ 200+ years
Biological profile - ANS✔✔ -Estimates the sex, age, and race of an individual set of remains.
-Looking at the bones, comparing them to know growth patterns and development, and giving a
best estimate.
Morphology - ANS✔✔ The shape of our bones
How many bones in an adult human body? - ANS✔✔ 206
Bones that are most important for determining human remains: - ANS✔✔ -Cranium (Big brain
case, big eyes, relatively small nose and teeth)
-Pelvis (tipped forward, somewhat large)
,-Scapula (shoulder blade)
-Femur (Has an elongated head with a divot in it to attach to the pelvis)
-Humerus (upper arm)
Under 20-25 years old, forensic anthropologist are looking at the _______ of our bones. -
ANS✔✔ Development
Over 25 years old, forensic anthropologists are looking at the _______ of bones. - ANS✔✔
Breakdown
Humans are born with about ______ ossification centers. - ANS✔✔ 405
The speed of _______ in our bones can demonstrate age. Bones that aren't completely _______
are filled with _________ between the spaces. - ANS✔✔ Fusing; fused, cartilage
-For younger people under the age of about 9, the best indicator of age are the _______ and
_______. - ANS✔✔ Hands and feet
_________ are another very useful age indicator for children. - ANS✔✔ Teeth
Why are the hands and feet good indicators of age in children? - ANS✔✔ The hands and feet
have many tiny little bones prior to fusing. The more little bones a set of remains has, the
younger the child.
Why are the teeth good indicators of age in children? - ANS✔✔ Children have two sets of teeth,
with their adult one above their baby teeth, waiting to come in.
Sutures - ANS✔✔ The gaps in the bones of the skull that allow it to expand and grow. Over
time, these sutures fill with bone.
, Cranial suture scoring - ANS✔✔ Determining the age of a person based on the
presence/development of sutures.
Stage 1 sutures - ANS✔✔ Spaces will be filled less than 25% with bone, or with no bone at all.
Stage 2 sutures - ANS✔✔ Sutures are still present; some are still stage 1, while others are filled
with bone
Stage 3 sutures - ANS✔✔ Sutures are completely filled with bone; sutures are not visible.
Other estimators of age (2) - ANS✔✔ -Sternal rib ends
-Pubic symphysis
Sternal rib ends - ANS✔✔ Breathing causes the ends of the ribs to rub against cartilage, causing
the cartilage to deteriorate.
(This cartilage is in the front of the sternum and allows the chest to expand and contract as you
breathe)
Pubic symphysis - ANS✔✔ -Located in the front of the pelvis, where the two halves are
connected by cartilage.
-With every step taken, this cartilage is deteriorating in the pelvis.
Good indicators of sex in a skeleton - ANS✔✔ -Pelvis (Subpubic angle, inlet, sciatic notch, and
tailbone)
-Skull (Brow bones, mastoid processes, jaws)
Female pelvis - ANS✔✔ -U-shaped subpubic angle
