Chapter 3: Establishing Forensic Significance || Already
Graded A+.
Forensic significance correct answers Refers to bones that the medicolegal community has
defined as needing investigation, specifically persons who have died within the last 50 years
while not in the care of a physician
Three main steps in establishing forensic significance correct answers - Determine if the remains
are bones (only relevant for highly fragmented material)
- Determine if the bones are human
- Determine if the person has died in the past 50 years
Contemporary remains correct answers Remains of those who have died in the past 50 years
Non-contemporary remains correct answers Remains of those who have died earlier than the past
50 years
Percent of bones brought to forensic anthropologists that are non-human correct answers
Between 25% and 30%
Ways to determine human vs. non-human bones correct answers Plexiform in bone, haversian
systems in bone, maturity, architecture
Histology correct answers The study of microscopic structures of living tissues, including the
size and arrangement of Haversian systems, osteons, and other structures
When histology is useful correct answers When osteological fragments are too small to be
identified by maturity or architectural differences
Overall histological differences in animal vs. human bone correct answers
Plexiform bone differences between humans and non-humans: correct answers - Human bone is
characterized by dense Haversian systems while large mammal bone has both Haversian bone
and plexiform bone
- In immature large animals plexiform bone can be seen throughout the cortex from the
periosteal to endosteal surfaces
- In mature large animals Haversian bone replaces plexiform bones near the endosteal surface
- In humans plexiform bone is found only in fetal remains and pathological bone (i.e. bone found
at sites of traumatic injury)
Why the plexiform distinction between human and non-human is limited correct answers While
appearance of plexiform bone can help distinguishing human bone from animal bone, plexiform
structures can degrade in mammals and seem to be nonexistent, so this criterion is limited
, Haversian bone in human vs. non-human bone correct answers - When Haverisan bone is found,
it can be distinguished from nonhumans by the diameter of the Haversian systems and their
concomitant canals (humans
- Usually human sizes are larger, but the ranges of at least some animals overlap with humans so
this criterion is limited as well
Maturity in bones correct answers Helps to distinguish animals whose mature bones are
approximately the same size as sub-adult humans
Mature animal bones vs. sub-adult human bones correct answers - Sub-adult human bones will
have unfused or missing epiphyses, while nonhumans will show fused epiphyses
- This lack of fusion between the epiphyses and the diaphyses gives young human bones an
unfinished appearance
- Thus lack of ephiphyses on young human remains distinguish them from animals
Architecture in bones correct answers Can be used to make distinctions when animal bones are
approximately the same as adult humans
Quadrupeds correct answers Animals who walk on four feet
Bipeds correct answers Animals that walk on two feet
Types of bones in animals vs. humans correct answers All mammals have practically all of the
same bones, and so presence of bone and size of bone rarely help in identification
Overall architectural differences in bipeds and quadrupeds correct answers Quadrupeds have
unique bone architecture that distinguishes them from humans (bipeds) because of how they
walk
Ungulates correct answers Hoofed animals, have snouts and small braincases
Cranial differences in animal vs. human bones correct answers - Human skulls are so distinctive
it is very difficult to confuse with non-human craniums (especially because the skull is such a
common symbol)
- Human skull characterized by a large braincase with a small face and the absence of a snout
Animal vs. human vertebral column correct answers - Vertebral column: quadrupeds have larger
cervical vertebrae and longer spinous processes than humans
- The spinal column is concave in the neck for quadrupeds but convex in the neck for humans
Similarities between bear paws and human hands correct answers - Similarities between the
hands and feet of humans and the front and hind paws of various bears
- Despite the obvious similarities, the smallest digit in the human is the first (the thumb), while
the last digit is the smallest for bears
- For feet, in the absence of claws, the two can be distinguished by the size of the metatarsals
Graded A+.
Forensic significance correct answers Refers to bones that the medicolegal community has
defined as needing investigation, specifically persons who have died within the last 50 years
while not in the care of a physician
Three main steps in establishing forensic significance correct answers - Determine if the remains
are bones (only relevant for highly fragmented material)
- Determine if the bones are human
- Determine if the person has died in the past 50 years
Contemporary remains correct answers Remains of those who have died in the past 50 years
Non-contemporary remains correct answers Remains of those who have died earlier than the past
50 years
Percent of bones brought to forensic anthropologists that are non-human correct answers
Between 25% and 30%
Ways to determine human vs. non-human bones correct answers Plexiform in bone, haversian
systems in bone, maturity, architecture
Histology correct answers The study of microscopic structures of living tissues, including the
size and arrangement of Haversian systems, osteons, and other structures
When histology is useful correct answers When osteological fragments are too small to be
identified by maturity or architectural differences
Overall histological differences in animal vs. human bone correct answers
Plexiform bone differences between humans and non-humans: correct answers - Human bone is
characterized by dense Haversian systems while large mammal bone has both Haversian bone
and plexiform bone
- In immature large animals plexiform bone can be seen throughout the cortex from the
periosteal to endosteal surfaces
- In mature large animals Haversian bone replaces plexiform bones near the endosteal surface
- In humans plexiform bone is found only in fetal remains and pathological bone (i.e. bone found
at sites of traumatic injury)
Why the plexiform distinction between human and non-human is limited correct answers While
appearance of plexiform bone can help distinguishing human bone from animal bone, plexiform
structures can degrade in mammals and seem to be nonexistent, so this criterion is limited
, Haversian bone in human vs. non-human bone correct answers - When Haverisan bone is found,
it can be distinguished from nonhumans by the diameter of the Haversian systems and their
concomitant canals (humans
- Usually human sizes are larger, but the ranges of at least some animals overlap with humans so
this criterion is limited as well
Maturity in bones correct answers Helps to distinguish animals whose mature bones are
approximately the same size as sub-adult humans
Mature animal bones vs. sub-adult human bones correct answers - Sub-adult human bones will
have unfused or missing epiphyses, while nonhumans will show fused epiphyses
- This lack of fusion between the epiphyses and the diaphyses gives young human bones an
unfinished appearance
- Thus lack of ephiphyses on young human remains distinguish them from animals
Architecture in bones correct answers Can be used to make distinctions when animal bones are
approximately the same as adult humans
Quadrupeds correct answers Animals who walk on four feet
Bipeds correct answers Animals that walk on two feet
Types of bones in animals vs. humans correct answers All mammals have practically all of the
same bones, and so presence of bone and size of bone rarely help in identification
Overall architectural differences in bipeds and quadrupeds correct answers Quadrupeds have
unique bone architecture that distinguishes them from humans (bipeds) because of how they
walk
Ungulates correct answers Hoofed animals, have snouts and small braincases
Cranial differences in animal vs. human bones correct answers - Human skulls are so distinctive
it is very difficult to confuse with non-human craniums (especially because the skull is such a
common symbol)
- Human skull characterized by a large braincase with a small face and the absence of a snout
Animal vs. human vertebral column correct answers - Vertebral column: quadrupeds have larger
cervical vertebrae and longer spinous processes than humans
- The spinal column is concave in the neck for quadrupeds but convex in the neck for humans
Similarities between bear paws and human hands correct answers - Similarities between the
hands and feet of humans and the front and hind paws of various bears
- Despite the obvious similarities, the smallest digit in the human is the first (the thumb), while
the last digit is the smallest for bears
- For feet, in the absence of claws, the two can be distinguished by the size of the metatarsals
