Forensic Anthropology Open Notes Practice Test

Transcription

1 Name: Date: 1/2/18 Section Broughton High School 1 Section 1: - True or False Forensic Anthropology Open Notes Practice Test 1. The number of bones in the body increases from the time of birth to adulthood. 2. Bones that break when someone is still alive tend to break unevenly, whereas bones broken long after death show clean breaks. 3. Because bones can heel, a bone fracture is no longer evident after 10 years. 4. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of skeletal remains can be used to establish individual identify. Section 2 Multiple Choice 5. Based on the following characteristics of a set of skeletal remains, which estimate best represents the age of the deceased? femur head fused to shaft clavicle and sternum closed lambdoidal suture closed a. between the ages of 30 and 40 b. between the ages of 16 and 18 c. between the ages of 10 and 24 d. at least 50 years old Region of the Body Bone Approximate Age Arm Humerus cap bones fused 4-6 Humerus cap fused to shaft Leg Femur: Greater trochanter (muscle attachment site) first appears 4 Lesser trochanter (muscle attachment site) first appears Femur head fused to shaft Condyles (rounded projections at the end of bone) join shaft 20 Shoulder Clavicle and sternum (breastbone) close Pelvis Pubic bone and ischium almost completely ossified Ilium, ischium, and pubic bones fully ossified All segments of sacrum united Skull Lambdoidal suture close begins at 21 ends 30 Sagittal suture close 32 Coronal suture close Which is the most reliable bone to determine the sex of a skeleton? a. femur b. skull c. pelvic bone d. collarbone 7. Which ethnic background tends to have a round nasal cavity, rectangular eye orbits, and some degree of prognathism (extension of the maxilla beyond the face)? a. European b. African c. Asian d. none of the above

2 2 Section 2 Multiple Choice 8. A forensic anthropologist noted that a set of skeletal remains exhibited the following traits: wide subpubic angle, a sacrum curved outward, no visible growth plates, and porous bone. Which description is consistent with these characteristics? a. female under 30 with arthritis b. male over 50 with scoliosis c. female under under 20 with Asian Ancestry d. female over 30 with osteoporosis 9. What connects a muscle to a bone? a. cartilage b. tendon c. growth plate d. ligament Section 3 Short Answer 10. Compare and contrast the following: a. Growth plate (epiphyseal plate) and cartilaginous line (epiphyseal line) b. The teeth found in the skeletal remains of a 4-year old child and the teeth found in the skeletal remains of an 8-year child. 11. What can you tell about a skull that has the following features: a. Lambdoidal suture nearly closed - b. Large brow ridge - c. Robust skull - d. Nasal opening round in shape, mandible projecting beyond face (prognathism), no nasal spine - e. Large mastoid bone - f. Front upper teeth missing with bone healed over tooth socket - g. Nasal index of

3 3 Section 3 Short Answer 12. Summarize the process of ossification. Include the terms cartilage, bone, and growth plate in your answer. 13. A male s bones are more robust than a female s. Provide an explanation for male bones being more robust than female bones. 14.

4 4 Section 3 Short Answer 15. Small skeletal remains were found. At first, the remains were thought to belong to a girl in her early teens. Could the skeletal remains be those of a small adult woman? List the features that would help determine if the skeletal remains were from a girl in her early teens or from a mature, small-framed woman. 16. A mass grave is found. What can you tell about the remains from the following characteristics? a. Skull occipital protuberance, large mastoid bone, and sloping frontal bone - b. Subpubic angle 80 degrees - c. Left femur 49 cm - d. Right femur 49.1 cm - e. Left femur 45.5 cm - f. Right Humerus 20 cm - g. Pelvis intact with public bone and Ischlum fused and all sacrum segments fused -

5 17. Height Formula Calculations Broughton High School 5

6 6 Section 3 Short Answer CASE STUDIES African Burial Ground in New York City (1991) In 1991, all construction for a new federal office building in New York City came to an abrupt halt. While excavating, the wet clay soil 16 feet below the surface. Workers found a rectangular, dark outline in clay along with rows of rusted coffin nails. The workers had found a burial ground. Using dental picks and fine tools, soil was carefully removed. Eventually, 400 skeletal remains were recovered from this eighteen-century burial site. Forensic anthropologist and historians concluded that the burial grounds were the final resting place for more than 15,0000 people of African ancestry, most of whom had been part of the enslaved population in New York when they were buried. Their skeletal remains give voice to the story of an oppressed population who once accounted for one fourth of the city. Enslaved Africans and Caribbean s built much of the earliest New York City Infrastructure. Colonial life was difficult, but life for enslaved workers even more challenging, as evidence by information their skeletons revealed: Half of the skeletal remains were those of children under the age of two, indicating high infant mortality A high rate of birth defects and delayed brain development Poor nutrition indicated by delayed bone development and deformed bones High incidence of disease such as tuberculosis left scars on rib cages and deformed spines. Anemia left evidence in the orbits of the eyes. Teeth showed high incidence of tooth decay. Enamel failed to develop in some children, probably because of poor nutrition. Young men and women had arthritis fractures at the base of skulls and in spines could have been caused by carrying cargo and heavy loads on their heads Children s bones showed evidence of tearing of muscles from the bones and lesions on the bone surface that could have been due to heavy labor Robust muscle-attachment sites on bones reveal work that was hard and heavy Vertical cracking on chalk-like bones with white and black blotching suggest some individuals were burned to death

7 African Burial Ground in New York City (1991) Think Critically Broughton High School 18. Describe the forensic anthropology techniques that were used for identification? These methods include: radiology, computer imaging, DNA technology, video or photographic superimposition, and craniofacial reconstruction. Explain your answer. 7

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