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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is forensic ondontology?
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Forensic ondontology is the application of the arts and sciences of dentistry to the legal system.
*Forensic odontology uses dentition in the identification of individuals by comparing the unique aspect of a victim’s teeth with pre-death dental records. Teeth are also an excellent source of DNA for identification purposes. *Forensic odontology also compares dentition with bite mark injuries in human tissue and inanimate objects (food, pencils). DNA can also be obtained from bite marks to help identify criminals. *Forensic odontology can analyze head and neck injuries to determine the merit of a claimed injury. *Forensics odontology can analyze negligence, standard of care issues, and injury in dental malpractice cases. |
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When did the work of forensic anthropology begin in the United States?
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Forensic anthropology got its start in the US during and after World War II and the Korean War. The anthropologists were involved in identifying soldiers that died in the wars.
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How do breaks differ perimortem and postmortem.
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-Breaks in bone that occur during the perimortem period are often greenstick or spiral. This is because the bones still have moisture and fat content.
-Postmortem breaks in the bone are lean and brittle. These breaks are often parallel, or at cross section to the long axis of the bone. -Antemortem breaks will show signs of heating. |
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How is age estimated?
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-Forensic anthropologist need to know the dental and skeletal development at each stage of life starting with the fetus.
They do so through: -Size/length of bones -Ossification centers in long bones (for fusion) -Dental development -Dental changes like wear -Bone density -Check for billowed or flattened pubic symphysis and illiac auricular surface -Cranial sutures (if they are closed and fused-done developing) -Ossification of hyalin cartilage between sternum and ribs and the cartilage in the font of the neck -Changes in the sternal end of the 4'rib |
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Size |
Size is used to indicate age in infants and children. The length of the shafts of the long bones (diaphyses), are used to estimate a child's age. It is not an exact science; children have normal ranges in size.
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Ossification centers in long bones |
Ossification centers in long bones are other ways for determining age. Each long bone has a shaft (diaphsis) and two epiphyses at each end of the bone. These sections will grow together when an individual has reached full size. The timing of this follows a pattern based on age, sex, hormones, and nutrition. Females' bones develop earlier than males do. Fusion of the epiphyses occur in the teens and early twenties.
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Dental development |
Tooth decay begins in utero. There are 20 primary teeth that begin to erupt at about 6 months and finish erupting at 2 years of age. Around age 6 the permanent teeth begin to erupt. This continues until the wisdom teeth erupt around 18. There are 32 permanent teeth.
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Dental Changes |
-Wear can also be use to determine age
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Bone density |
Bone density is another way to determine age. Bones have the greatest density in the twenties. Density remains high in the thirties, and begins to decline starting in the forties.
Menopausal women show great bone loss. This occurs around age 55 to 60. Men over the age of 40 have a gradual loss of bone into old age. |
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Osteoarthritis |
Osteoarthritis is used as well for determining a person's age since it is not usually seen until after the age of 40.
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Pubic symphysis midline cartilaginous joint (Uniting the right&left pelvic bones) *Auricular surface (joint surface connecting the ilium to the sacrum) |
*The two best ways to determine age are using the pubic symphysis ad the iliac auricular surface. the pubic symphysis is the midline cartilaginous joint that unites the right and left pelvic bones. With age the surfaces of the pubic symphysis wear and change from billowed to flattened.
*The auricular surface is the joint surface that connects the ilium to the sacrum: the sacroiliac joint. Changes in density and texture are seen with age. |
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Cranial sutures |
-Cranial suture closure or fusion is seen with age.
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Ossificaiton of the hyaline cartilage |
-Ossification of the hyaline cartilage is seen with age. Hyaline cartilage is seen between the sternum and ribs, and the cartilage in the front of the neck (laryngeal and thyroid).
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Details on the ways age is estimated:
*Changes in the sternal end of the... |
4' rib ...-->also used to determine age.
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How can sex be determined in decomposed body or a skeleten?
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*DNA- is an accurate way to determine sex if soft tissue is present. Size can be used, but isn't completely accurate.
*Musculature is also used to help determine sex since males are generally more muscular than fem. *Skull and pelvic bones (facial features and ability to bear a child) -female pelvic bone has a U-shaped subpubic angle with a shallow sciatic notch -Male skull tends to be larger and is more defined at areas of muscle attachment (mastoid process) and areas of biomechanical stress (brow and chin). The lower jaw is also more angled. *The rest of the skeleton is large on adv. in males. Males have larger weight bearing joint surfaces (hip), more accentuated areas of muscles attachment, large diameter of long bones, + is taller. |
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How can race be determined?
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*The Nasal Openings
*The Skull *The Eye sockets -Africans tend to have a more flared nasal opening whereas European ancestries have narrow nasal openings and pinched nasal bridges. -European skulls tend to have high, rounded or squared skulls. African skulls are lower and narrower. Asian skulls are broad and round. -European eye sockets are triangular, African eye sockets are more square, and Asian sockets are more round. |
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What is the perimortem interval?
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The perimortem interval is the time that includes death, soft tissue loss, and bone before the loss of fats and moisture from the bone.
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What is the postmortem interval?
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The postmortem interval is the time of bone exposure/when bone is exposed.
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How are breaks in the bone different during the perimortem and postmortem intervals?
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Breaks in bone that occur during the perimortem period are often greenstick or spiral. This is because the bones still have moisture and fat content.
Postmortem breaks in the bone are clean and brittle. These breaks are often parallel, or at cross section to the long axis of the bone. Antemortem breaks will show signs of healing. |
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What taphonomic factors are used to categorize the changes that occur in human remains?
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Human remains don’t just simply decompose, skeletonize, and disarticulate. In reality it is much more complex. A body is affected by many different factors such as
-age, weight, cause of death, and the physical properties of bone (structure and density). -Cultural factors include autopsy, embalming, casket burial, or burial at sea, dismemberment, human rights abuses, war, or genocide -Environmental factors include temperature, moisture, pH, and soil properties -The temperature of a body equals the temperature of its environment. A body will cool more quickly in a breeze, if it is nude, has blood loss, or loss of parts. A clothed body holds its temperature longer. Exposure to the sun affects the temperature of a body. |
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Expound on how temperature affects a body
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The temperature of a body equals the temperature of its environment. A body will cool more quickly in a breeze, if it is nude, has blood loss, or loss of parts. A clothed body holds its temperature longer. Exposure to the sun affects the temperature of a body.
The temperature near the surface of the body affects decomposition more near the surface of the body affects decomposition more than air temperature. If a body is in water, or if it is buried will affect decomposition. A body in Florida may become skeletonized in two weeks, but take two to three years to become skeletonized up north. A buried human may retain flesh for decades. These examples show how complex decomposition can be. |
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When do insects begin to colonize a body?
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Insects begin to colonize a body as soon as an individual dies if the time of year and environment are appropriate.
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What things can insects tell us about a body?
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*Time of death
*Whether a body has been moved *Would sites *Whether the victim used drugs *Whether the victim was poisoned *Aid in the investigation of wildlife crimes |
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5 Stages of Decomposition
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As the body begins to decay it goes through five stages: fresh, putrefaction, black putrefaction, butyric fermentation, and dry decay.
-Fresh decay begins 4 minutes after death and lasts for about 3 days. -Putrefaction lasts 4 to 10 days. -Black putrefaction occurs 10-25 days after death. -Butyric fermentation occurs about 25 days after death. -Dry decay begins around 50 days after death and can last a year. |
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(1st stage of Decomp)
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Fresh decay begins 4 minutes after death and lasts for about 3 days. The body has little odor and the skin is becoming pale.
Flies are the main insects that colonize at this stage. Some beetles and wasps that feed on fly larvae will be found as well. |
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(2nd stage of Decomp)
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Putrefaction lasts 4 to 10 days. The corpse bloats during this phase due to the gases released during the breakdown of the body tissues by bacteria. The body will begin to emit a smell during this stage. The smell attracts more flies and beetles.
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(3rd stage of Decomp)
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Black putrefaction occurs 10-25 days after death. This is a strong odor during this period and the body will have a black appearance. The body will be less bloated at this pint because the skin has begun to split due to the large amounts of gas and body fluids. Flies and beetles are still found during this stage.
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(4th stage of Decomp)
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Butyric fermentation is the fourth stage of decomposition. It occurs about 25 days after death. The body has now flattened out and the fluids and tissues have begun to dry up. Maggots can no longer feed at this stage. Mainly beetles are found during this stage.
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(5th stage of Decomp)
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The final stage is dry decay. It begins around 50 days after death and can last a year. The only things that will remain are dry skin and tissue, hair, teeth, and bones. Some beetles will be found at this stage, as well as certain moths that feed on the hair, and mites that feed on any remaining bacteria.
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