FIS 201 Exam 2 WVU Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025/2026
Forensic anthropologist - Answers specialize in archaeology and physical anthropology; do
mass grave exhumation, work for the military; have training in anatomy, biology, and
archaeology
Bones important for determining human species - Answers cranium, pelvis, scapula, femur,
humerus
Forensic archaeology - Answers Recover and interpret human remains; locate gravesites,
remove skeletons out safely
Physical anthropology - Answers Study of the biology, variation, and evolution of humans;
patterns of human shape and size, growth and development, population differences
How to identify human bones - Answers shape, size, thickness
Ossification centers - Answers born with ~405, which later fuse to 206 adult bones
speed of fusing of bones can demonstrate what - Answers age
Suture Scoring Stage 0, (~7yrs) - Answers gaps between plates, noticeable
Suture scoring stage 1 (8-40 yrs) - Answers sutures are present
suture scoring stage 2 (40-50 yrs) - Answers Smooth and filled with bones
suture scoring stage 3 (60-70 yrs) - Answers Almost completely smoothed.
pubic symphysis - Answers The shape of the face of the bone inside of the cartilage; for males
and females both it starts to look more irregular with age
Ends of ribs, estimator of age - Answers cartilage becomes more bony, degrades cartilage
Male pelvic bone, sexual dimorphism - Answers V shaped sub-pubic angle, narrow inlet and
sciatic notch
Female pelvic bone, sexual dimorphism - Answers U-shaped sub-pubic angle, round inlet and
wide sciatic notch
Male skull/sexual dimorphism - Answers prominent brow ridges, larger mastoid processes
Female skull/sexual dimorphism - Answers smooth, more vertical frontal bone, small mastoid
processes
How to differentiate race using skull identification - Answers orbit shape, cheekbone shape,
nasal bone shape, prognathism
, asian skull - Answers Circular eye orbits
African skull - Answers rectangular eye orbits, broad nasal aperture, rounded nasal sill, alveolar
prognathism
European skulls - Answers rectangular, "aviator glasses", shaped orbits, high projecting nasal
bones
Forensic dentists - Answers have a college degree,went to dental school, specialty training,
ABFO certification
Forensic dentistry - Answers ID human remains, ID mass fatalities, age estimation, assessment
of bite mark injuries, assessment of cases of abuse, civil cases involving malpractice
Dentition - Answers individualizing arrangement, alignment, diastema, missing teeth, fillings
What kind of x-ray do you use if the skull is still intact - Answers panoramic/standard x ray
what do you do if the skull is damaged/burnt - Answers remove upper and lower jaws,
photograph, x-ray and then compare to known
Age and dental development - Answers In children ages 6 to 12 teeth are good indicators of age
Bite mark injuries - Answers compare marks to dentition using overlays and casts
Challenges to bite marks - Answers dentition profiles can change, skin is elastic which can give
insufficient detail or stretch, many people have similar dentition due to braces
Lifecycle of a fly - Answers eggs, larva 1, larva 2, larva 3, pre-pupa, pupa, adult fly
five ways insects can provide forensic information - Answers colonization patterns such as time
since death, antemortem colonization, perimortem wounding; ecology such as linking suspect
victim or scene, providing DNA
Stages of decomposition - Answers fresh, bloat, active decay, dry remains
Bloat - Answers gas starts to escape, body starts to smell; insect activity begins
Active Decay - Answers maggots will start to eat, carrion beetles, rove beetles will start to eat
the muscles, organs, eyes; body produces liquid
Dry remains - Answers what's left of the body is hair, skin, cartilage; Adult skin beetles are
present on a corpse
1st instar fly larva - Answers Very small, eat very little tissue, feeds on fluid
2nd instar - Answers Moves around in maggot mass
Forensic anthropologist - Answers specialize in archaeology and physical anthropology; do
mass grave exhumation, work for the military; have training in anatomy, biology, and
archaeology
Bones important for determining human species - Answers cranium, pelvis, scapula, femur,
humerus
Forensic archaeology - Answers Recover and interpret human remains; locate gravesites,
remove skeletons out safely
Physical anthropology - Answers Study of the biology, variation, and evolution of humans;
patterns of human shape and size, growth and development, population differences
How to identify human bones - Answers shape, size, thickness
Ossification centers - Answers born with ~405, which later fuse to 206 adult bones
speed of fusing of bones can demonstrate what - Answers age
Suture Scoring Stage 0, (~7yrs) - Answers gaps between plates, noticeable
Suture scoring stage 1 (8-40 yrs) - Answers sutures are present
suture scoring stage 2 (40-50 yrs) - Answers Smooth and filled with bones
suture scoring stage 3 (60-70 yrs) - Answers Almost completely smoothed.
pubic symphysis - Answers The shape of the face of the bone inside of the cartilage; for males
and females both it starts to look more irregular with age
Ends of ribs, estimator of age - Answers cartilage becomes more bony, degrades cartilage
Male pelvic bone, sexual dimorphism - Answers V shaped sub-pubic angle, narrow inlet and
sciatic notch
Female pelvic bone, sexual dimorphism - Answers U-shaped sub-pubic angle, round inlet and
wide sciatic notch
Male skull/sexual dimorphism - Answers prominent brow ridges, larger mastoid processes
Female skull/sexual dimorphism - Answers smooth, more vertical frontal bone, small mastoid
processes
How to differentiate race using skull identification - Answers orbit shape, cheekbone shape,
nasal bone shape, prognathism
, asian skull - Answers Circular eye orbits
African skull - Answers rectangular eye orbits, broad nasal aperture, rounded nasal sill, alveolar
prognathism
European skulls - Answers rectangular, "aviator glasses", shaped orbits, high projecting nasal
bones
Forensic dentists - Answers have a college degree,went to dental school, specialty training,
ABFO certification
Forensic dentistry - Answers ID human remains, ID mass fatalities, age estimation, assessment
of bite mark injuries, assessment of cases of abuse, civil cases involving malpractice
Dentition - Answers individualizing arrangement, alignment, diastema, missing teeth, fillings
What kind of x-ray do you use if the skull is still intact - Answers panoramic/standard x ray
what do you do if the skull is damaged/burnt - Answers remove upper and lower jaws,
photograph, x-ray and then compare to known
Age and dental development - Answers In children ages 6 to 12 teeth are good indicators of age
Bite mark injuries - Answers compare marks to dentition using overlays and casts
Challenges to bite marks - Answers dentition profiles can change, skin is elastic which can give
insufficient detail or stretch, many people have similar dentition due to braces
Lifecycle of a fly - Answers eggs, larva 1, larva 2, larva 3, pre-pupa, pupa, adult fly
five ways insects can provide forensic information - Answers colonization patterns such as time
since death, antemortem colonization, perimortem wounding; ecology such as linking suspect
victim or scene, providing DNA
Stages of decomposition - Answers fresh, bloat, active decay, dry remains
Bloat - Answers gas starts to escape, body starts to smell; insect activity begins
Active Decay - Answers maggots will start to eat, carrion beetles, rove beetles will start to eat
the muscles, organs, eyes; body produces liquid
Dry remains - Answers what's left of the body is hair, skin, cartilage; Adult skin beetles are
present on a corpse
1st instar fly larva - Answers Very small, eat very little tissue, feeds on fluid
2nd instar - Answers Moves around in maggot mass
