Disclaimer: Though it is thorough, this study guide does not necessarily contain all information that may appear on the lecture midterm exam.

TOPICS COVERED

A summary of the topics covered in this unit.

• Forensic science team members
• Definition and characteristics of forensic anthropology
• Qualifications of a forensic anthropologist
• History of forensic anthropology (handout)
  
• Goals of forensic anthropology
• Duties of a forensic anthropologist
• Structure of bone
• Features of bone
• Process of bone growth
• Directional terminology
• Handling and storing bone
• Ten key questions in forensic anthropology
• Establishing forensic context
  
• Time since death estimation
  

TERMS

What do these terms mean?

NOTE:  Though you will not be asked to recognize or recall the definitions for all of these terms (but probably some), you should know what they mean in order to understand questions and answers on the test.

• forensic science
• medical examiner
• coroner
• forensic pathology
• forensic odontology
• forensic entomology
• forensic archaeology
  
• forensic anthropology

• medicolegal
• contemporary

• anthropology
• archaeology
• biological anthropology

• osteologist/osteology
• biological profile
• cause of death
• manner of death
• formation processes
• commingled

• compact bone / cortical bone
  
• spongy bone
  
• epiphysis
• metaphysis
• diaphysis
• periosteum
• medulla
• endosteum
• collagen
• hydroxyapatite
• axial skeleton
• appendicular skeleton
  
• long bone
• short bone
• flat bone
• irregular bone
• ossification / osteogenesis
• apposition
• intramembranous ossification

• architecture
• maturity
• dry bone
• fresh bone
• hydration
• MNI (minimum number of individuals)
  

• antemortem
• perimortem
  
• postmortem
• postmortem interval
• exogenous
• endogenous
• forensic taphonomy
  

PEOPLE

What was/were the primary contribution(s) of these individuals to forensic anthropology?

• William Bass
• Allison Galloway
• Debra Komar
  
• William Haglund
• Douglas Ubelaker
• Neal Haskell
• Thomas Dwight
• Wilton Marion Krogman
• Ellis Kerley
• Clyde Collins Snow
  

LISTS

What items are listed under these headings?

• members of forensic science team
• characteristics/qualifications of a forensic anthropologist
• goals of forensic anthropology
• duties of a forensic anthropologist

• two types of bone
• parts of bone
• two types of bone molecules
• four classes of bones (and examples of each)
• two processes of bone growth
• do's for handling and storing bone
• don'ts for handling and storing bone

• key questions in forensic analysis
• three ways to distinguish bone from non-bone
  
• two ways to distinguish human and non-human bones
• four major ways to distinguish contemporary and non-contemporary remains
• seven physical characteristics of bone condition/preservation used to distinguish contemporary and non-contemporary remains
• factors that influence preservation state

• four agents of long-term soft tissue and hard tissue alteration
• factors influencing rate of decomposition and effects of each

BOOK MATERIAL

The following material from the textbook, which was not covered in lecture, may be included on the exam.

• Chapter 1:  data gathering methods, contributions of people to development of forensic anthropology (Dwight, Dorsey, Krogman, Stewart, McKern)
  
• Chapter 2:  distinguish between cranial vs. postcranial skeleton; distinguish between axial and appendicular skeleton; enamel and dentin portions of a tooth
• Chapter 3:  contemporary versus noncontemporary (body modifications, personal belongings, conditions of interment)
  
• Chapter 4:  methods/equipment/clues for locating/searching remains, grave excavation, collecting remains
  
• Chapter 5:  none
• Chapter 6:  inventorying remains
  

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS

1.  According to standard definitions, forensic anthropology

a. involves the examination of prehistoric human remains.
b. focuses on the analysis of human soft tissues and body fluids.
c. encompasses only lab analysis of human remains.
d. involves the study of human remains in a medicolegal context.
e. All of these are correct.

2.  On a forensic team, he individual who oversees death investigations in terms of examination of the human remains is the

a. forensic anthropologist.
b. forensic pathologist.
c. forensic psychologist.
d. forensic etymologist.
e. forensic odontologist.

3.  Who is considered the father of forensic anthropology?

a. Thomas Dwight
b. William Maples
c. William Bass
d. Wilton Marion Krogman
e. George Dorsey

4.  Which of the following statements about hydroxyapatite is false?

a. Hydroxyapatite is the mineral component of bone.
b. Hydroxyapatite production is associated with vitamin D.
c. Hydroxyapatite hardens bones.
d. Hydroxyapatite is composed primarily of calcium and iron.
e. None of these statements is false; they are all true statements about hydroxyapatite.

5.  According to Byers, clues about the contemporaneity of bones include all of the following except

6.  True or False:  The human skull has both flat and irregular bones.
 

7.  True or False:  Most bone growth involves intramembranous ossification.
 

8.  True or False:  Cause of death is the circumstances surrounding a death, while manner of death is the agent responsible for ending a life.
 

10.  True or False:  Traits used to distinguish bone from non-bone material are architecture (shape and morphology) and maturity (size in relation to epiphyseal fusion).

11.  True or False: A biological profile includes four fundamental pieces of information: race, sex, age, and health.

12.                 is the process of bone growth.         [two possible answers]
 

13.                 are those traits that can be quantified, such as the length of the femur, while               are those traits that are qualitative, such as the presence or absence of the metopic suture.      [you must answer both correctly]
 

14.  The  ______  skeleton includes bones of the torso, while the  ______  skeleton includes bones of the arms and legs.

15.  _________  refers to the removal of soft tissue from the skeleton.