Question

TRUE OR FALSE FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY QUESTIONS

1. Putrefaction refers to exogenous and endogamous viral activity. T … F

2. Black Putrefaction occurs within the first 3 days of decomposition. T … F

3. Livor Mortis, Algor Mortis and Rigor Mortis all occur within a 1-hour time frame. T … F

4. Butyric Fermentation, otherwise known as Active Decayoccurs within a time interval of 20-50 days. T … F

5. Autolysis can be described as self-digestion of the dead body tissues. T … F

6. In first assessing a possible crime scene, the Forensic Anthropologist will be asked to answer the following three questions. A) Is it a bone? B) Is it human? and C) Is it relatively modern or contemporary? T … F

7. What can help to answer the questions posed in question #6 are the use of Histology, Maturity or Skeletal Development and Morphology or the bone’s Architecture. T … F

8. In order to establish whether a case is of Medicolegal Significance or NOT of Medicolegal Significance, a Forensic Anthropologist must examine the color, texture, density or weight, hydration, overall general condition and the amount of soft tissue on the skeletal remains in question. T … F

9. Cultural modifications made to skeletal remains automatically designate the bones as being of Medicolegal Significance. T … F

10. In addition to any cultural modification, burial treatment, and associated artifacts should also be considered in determining if skeletal remains of Medicolegal Significance or NOT of Medicolegal Significance. T … F

Answer 1

1) F

2)F

It takes about 10-20 days

3) F

Rigor mortis starts a few hrs after the death.

4)F

During the active decay phase of decomposition, insects and maggots feed on the body, helping break it down even further. The skin blackens. Most of the liquid leaves the body, creating a pool or soaking into the earth. The odor from decay remains very strong. This stage occurs anywhere from 10 to 25 days after death.

5)T

6)T

7) T

8)F

9)F generally A chemical test such as precipitin test would come handy in such cases. Bones of great apes are not very different from that of humans and it becomes virtually indistinguishable in the case of the distal carpels, meta-carpels, tarsals or meta-tarsals.

,10) T

Answer 2

1. False Putrefaction refers to the decomposition of organic matter by bacterial activity, not viral activity.

2. False Black Putrefaction occurs after the bloating stage of decomposition and typically starts around 4-10 days after death, not within the first 3 days.

3. False Livor Mortis, Algor Mortis, and Rigor Mortis are three different postmortem changes that occur after death, but they do not all occur within a 1-hour time frame. Livor Mortis is the settling of blood, Algor Mortis is the cooling of the body, and Rigor Mortis is the stiffening of muscles, and they occur over different time frames.

4. False Butyric Fermentation, or Active Decay, occurs within a time interval of approximately 6-20 days after death, not 20-50 days.

5. True Autolysis is the self-digestion of body tissues by enzymes released after death.

6. True When assessing a possible crime scene, a Forensic Anthropologist will typically ask the three questions: A) Is it a bone? B) Is it human? and C) Is it relatively modern or contemporary?

7. True Histology, Maturity or Skeletal Development, and Morphology or bone architecture are techniques that can help answer the questions posed in question #6.

8. True To determine whether a case is of Medicolegal Significance or not, a Forensic Anthropologist examines various factors, including the color, texture, density, hydration, overall general condition, and the amount of soft tissue on the skeletal remains.

9. False Cultural modifications made to skeletal remains do not automatically designate the bones as being of Medicolegal Significance. Cultural modifications can occur in both forensic and non-forensic contexts.

10. True In addition to cultural modifications, burial treatment, associated artifacts, and other contextual information should be considered in determining if skeletal remains are of Medicolegal Significance or not.

11.