ASM 275 Study Guide 1-1

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Arizona State University *

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275

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Anthropology

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Dec 6, 2023

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Exam 1 Study Guide What is a forensic anthropologist, and what do they do? (Lecture 2, Davis and Halla-Borrelli article)). Forensics means the intersection of the legal and medical spheres; forensic anthropology is a branch of both forensic science and biological anthropology. It is the study that deals with skeletonized or decomposed remains for the purpose of aiding in a legal investigation. They determine the age, living stature, sex, and ancestry of the skeletal remains. They analyze bone trauma and pathology present in the skeleton. They assess the postmortem interval (how long ago the individual died) through the postmortem processes. They use archaeological methods to recover remains in a thorough systematic way and they analyze unique features to help identify the individuals. Levels of Measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio) – how do they differ? (Lab 1). Nominal: discrete or discontinuous data that is classified according to some qualitative measure that cannot be placed in a specific order. Such as names or labels to describe variables and observations. Sex, colors, religion, language, political reference, nationality. Ordinal: discrete data that can be ranked/put in order. It can be counted and ordered such as a drink sized at a coffee shop, such as small, medium, large, extra-large, venti, grande, etc. a likerat scale is also an example such as very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, etc. Interval: continuous scale data are ordered, quantified, and with exact differences between the values. The interval between values is known. There is no absolute zero for data that is non- arbitrary. 0 does not mean the absence of the feature being measured. Ratio: continuous scale data that is ordered, quantified, and has exact known differences between values, it does have an absolute zero that is meaningful and not arbitrarily determined. Accuracy vs. Precision (Lab 2). Accuracy is the degree to which a measurement conforms to the correct(true) value. Precision is the ability of a measurement to be consistently reproduced. Sources of error; Intra. Vs Inter-Observer error (Lab 2) Metadata (Lab 2) Intra-observer error refers to the precision of data recorded by the same observer. Intra means “within”. Inter- observer error is the error resulting from variation in the accuracy of data recorded by different observers. Meta-data is the variables that you collect that don’t relate to the specific research question. Ex: the name of the investigator, tells you a lot of factors that could affect the results such as the university, calipers used, the room it was measured in, the weather and temperature that time of year. Calipers, the time of day, whether you had coffee for breakfast that day, the date, caliper type, caliper serial number, etc. Make sure you can identify the following bones and the sutures of the skull based on diagrams and visual indicators (Lecture 4, Lab 4): 1

Bones of the postcranium: Clavicle Scapula Sternum (middle of chest) Ribs (24) Humerus Radius Ulna Carpals (wrist) Metacarpals (palm) Phalanges (fingers) Vertebrae (cervical 7, thoracic 12, lumbar 5) Os coxa Sacrum Coccyx Femur Patella Tibia Fibula Tarsals Metatarsals Phalanges Bones of the skull: Mandible Maxilla (paired) Forntal Parietal (paired) Occipital Temporal (paired) Zygomatic (paired) Nasals Sphenoid Sutures of skull: Coronal: runs horizontally between frontal and parietal bones 2

Lambdoidal: at back of skull, separating occipital from the temporal and parietal bones Sagittal: midline separation between the parietal bones Squamosal: on the lateral surface of skull: separates the parietal from the temporal bone Know the types of teeth, the numbers of each type of tooth in each quadrant of the mouth, and the locations of each type of tooth in the mouth (Lecture 4, Lab 3): Incisors: 8 total (adult & deciduous) 2 in each quadrant Canines : 4 total (adult & deciduous)1 in each quadrant Premolars: 8 total (adult) 2 in each quadrant 0 deciduous Molars: 12 total (adult) 3 in each quadrant 8 deciduous 2 in each quadrant Difference between deciduous and permanent dentition : deciduous teeth are the baby teeth and permanent dentition is permanent that grows after the baby teeth. Enamel: Pearly white shown when you smile Dentin: underneath enamel (brown/yellowish) Pulp chamber: inside of the dentin, where the nerve lives. Know the following terms (Lecture 3, Lab 3): Axial/Appendicular: the axial includes the skull, the vertebral column, the sacrum, the ribs, and the sternum. The appendicular includes the upper limbs, lower limbs and both the pelvic and shoulder girdles. Osteology: An intimate knowledge of human skeletal anatomy, growth, function, and structure, including dentition. Collagen: protein component; provides flexibility to bone. Hydroxyapatite : mineral component; that provides rigidity to bone. Collagen and hydroxyapatite are the perfect combo of flexibility and rigidity. 3

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Osteon : a circular structure of concentric or circumferential lamellae of bone surrounding the nerve and blood supply that runs through the middle. Plexiform: series of stacked bricks Bone Histology: Histology is the microscopic study of biological tissues. We have already defined the two types of bone at the microscopic level: 1) immature or woven bone , and 2) mature or lamellar bone . Foramen: Holes through a bone. Foramen magnum: located in the bottom of the cranium is the hole that allows the spine to connect to the brain. Suture Superior: Top Inferior: bottom Anterior: toward front (ventral) Posterior: toward articulation body Medial: toward midline Lateral: away from midline Proximal: toward articulation body Distal: away from the articulation with the body. Diaphysis: the primary center of ossification which forms the shaft of the long bone. Epiphysis: secondary centers of ossification. Which increase in size until they eventually fuse to the diaphysis through epiphyseal union. Metaphysis: part of the long bone that flares and expands in width to accommodate the growing epiphyses. Trabecular Bone: spongy bone inside of skeletal elements (cancellous bone); diploe refers to the trabecular bone of the cranial vault. Cortical Bone: dense bone on surfaces of skeletal elements 4

 Both trabecular and cortical bone are identical at the molecular level Know the sources of variation in the human skeleton (age, sex, ancestry, occupational, genetic, pathology, cultural) (Lecture 3) Age: older individuals have larger bones than those who are still growing. Sex: also, variation related to size and muscularity. Ancestry: local adaptation and evolutionary forces. Occupational: habitual activities may cause deviations from the norm. Pathology: study of disease, way too broad to generalize. Genetic: variations in genetics. Cultural: non-genetic behaviors that imprint themselves on the skeleton such as native Americans who had their head wrapped that impacted their skill formation. Establishing the forensic context (Lectures 5 & 6, Ubelaker et al article): 1) Is it bone at all? 2) Is it human bone? Human versus non-human bone. How can we tell? Key is experience, better to see it in the original context. You must know its variance and nuances. Having a good study collection with variation. The bone of mammals are denser and heavier and more polished than human bones of same size. *Changes in human skeleton due to bipedalism that can help differentiate human bone from animal bone: foramen magnum is anterior on the skull, vertebrae thicker and flatter, double curvature in the spine for weight bearing, the pelvis is shorter and wider, angulation at the knee, long legs relative to the arms, the foot has to in line, doubled arched. *Histological differences: Human: circular osteons, random osteons, various size osteons. Animal: osteons + others, can be banded, plexiform, brick-like layers. * General differences: *Common mistakes/confusion in telling human bone apart from non-human bone. Bear paws and human hands are easy to mistake. Both big and humans are omnivores so there have been cases where their teeth are mistaken. Not recognizing the bones are from a human subadult (smaller in size, smaller, poorly defined muscle markings and joints are not fully formed). 3) If it is human, is it of medicolegal significance?  Know the five factors to help you assess if the remains are contemporary: less than 50 years old. o state of preservation: color, texture, hydration, weight, condition, fragility, soft tissue. 5

o body modification: cranial deformation, dental modifications (cavities, crowns), prosthetics, surgeries. o unintentional body changes: ex: cavities tend to be rare in older native American remains but not other tooth issues, for example: dental attrition (mechanical abrasion of tooth surfaces), dental calculus (plaque) o personal belongings/material culture: archaeological versus modern material (historical archaeology experience) and dating even modern material by changes in fashion. o conditions of interment/context: Burial patterns are ‘cultural compulsives’ (normal death versus non-normal), arrangement (flexed, extended, etc), direction of face, pretreatment (embalming, dress, cremation, etc), burial enclosure (coffin, etc), what is normal today may change. o Keep the examples we discussed in class in mind. More Terms (Lecture 2 and 6): What is the definition of medicolegal significance? Remains for which cause and manner of death are determined and a death certificate is generated. Cause of death: disease or injury that initiates a sequence of events that result in death (gunshot wound, blunt force trauma) Manner of death: the manner in which the cause of death comes into being (homicide, suicide, accidental, natural) Understand Daubert , Frye, Kumho and Federal Rules of Evidence ( Grivas and Komar article ) Archaeological Recovery (Lecture 7, Obledo article): Know the sequence of events involved in recovery and what each step involves  location of remains establishing the context. o remote sensing: aerial views, infrared photography, plant evidence, magnetometer, soil resistivity, ground penetrating radar o type of forensic investigation: cadaver dogs, metal detectors, site surface survey.  mapping- preserving the context  excavation- uncover remains  collection- remove remains for analysis.  search for associated materials Know how to identify a clandestine grave (Lecture 7): -disturbed vegetation: -soil compaction: impossible to replicate natural geology, soil compacts over time: type of soil and amount of moisture affect timing. -secondary depression: in some circumstances, represents the abdominal cavity collapsing, shallow graves only 24-36 inches deep, shallower grave=more pronounces secondary depression but less pronounced primary depression. 6

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-how you can tell soil has been disturbed: if stratification (differences in soil color) is significant and distinct, soil mixture will result in mottling and the outline of the grave will be different soils. What are the indicators that a body has been out on the surface of the ground? Know the importance of archaeological context. (Lecture 7) Be able to define the following (Lecture 7): Provenience (horizontal and vertical, profile map vs. plan view map): plan view is used for showing horizontal relationships. Datum, what is it? Datum provides the reference point. Understand how forensic anthropologists estimate the postmortem interval (time since death). (Lecture 8, Lab 5; Coyle et al article) -forensic taphonomy – what is it? The science of burial, studies what happens to the body from the time of death through discovery, also useful for establishing postmortem intervals, based on the amount of time needed for bodies to reach different stages of soft tissue deterioration. -forensic entomology – what is it? What insects are studied? 1. Life stages of insects indicate postmortem interval. 2. The seasonality of insects indicates postmortem interval. 3. geographical location, indigenous species. 4. ID of drugs in maggots, personal use. 4 types of insects used: blow flies: first to appear on scene. Beetles, appear a few days later than flies. Know the decomposition process, how long it takes, and how it can vary according to climate. (Lecture 8, Lab 5) -putrefaction – (internal factors): consumption of the body by endogenous (inside of you), guts, and intestinal bacteria. Bacteria proliferate inside the body, feed off of cells, and thrive with lower body pH, beginning in the cecum and expanding throughout the body. Produces marbling. Gases build up, abdomen bloats eventually bursting. Autolysis: results from cell death and action 7

of enzymes that work against the cell and destroy it. Cells swell, pH declines, enzymes that occur naturally in the body consume cell, the skin becomes pale, slippage of epidermis. -rigor mortis: chemical binding of muscle fibers, muscles lock in place and it is apparent in the body in 1-2 hours. Complete stiffness in 12 hours; releases in 24-48 hours. The progression is highly context-specific. Hot= quicker. Cold= slower. CO poisoning: slower. Body build, gracile (no body muscle)= slow to no rigor . algor mortis: body temperature drops following death, rectal temperature drops 2 degrees Celsius for the first hour and 1 degree thereafter until ambient room temperature is reached. In very cold or very hot rooms this is either slowed or accelerated. livor mortis: discoloration of the body due to the settling of blood and other body fluids. Apparent in 1-2 hours, well-developed in 3-4 hours. It becomes fixed due to coagulation in 8-12 hours. – know the timeline in which each starts and stops . -bone weathering 8

ASM 275 Study Guide 1-1

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