Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Anthropology Quiz Crafted by-
Hansi Bansal
Assistant Professor
Department of Forensic Science
Government Institute of Forensic Science, Nagpur
About the Creator
She is an Experienced Assistant Professor at Government Institute of Forensic Science with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry since 2013. She has Skilled herself in Life Sciences with a graduation in Biotechnology and research professional from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in 2006- 2009 and Master of Science (M.Sc.) focused in Forensic Science from Amity University in the year 2009- 2011. Her constant dedication and hard work made her to qualify UGC-NET-JRF in 2012. After completing her education she also had served her knowledge and expertise on forensic science as Forensic Analyst at HCL Infosystems Ltd./ J. K. Consultancy for UIDAI Project under Planning Commission of India (Govt. of India). Her Areas of research interest include handwriting, questioned document, graphology, physical anthropology and dermatoglyphics. She has published more than 5 research papers on renowned journals and have more than 20 citations including h-index and i10-index.
Here's a short interview of the quiz creator
On behalf of Sherlock institute of forensic science we had a short interview with Hansi Bansal and here is what she says to all the student community and life time learners of forensic science.
1. First of all please share your experiences with us while crafting this amazing quiz? what you wanted to impart on people?
“Introducing these quizzes is a wonderful initiative by SIFS. And I am thankful to Dr. Ranjeet Sir to be a part of this.
It was a great experience for me to craft a quiz on Forensic Anthropology. This area is very close to my heart. People/students while attempting the quiz will recall, recollect the particular area or subject which they would have studies earlier. And in case when recollecting is difficult, interested people might go back to books to know the answer or to read or to know about a bit further. Thus, it would be helpful for them”
2. As you have been traveling the world for researching the anthropological studies so please let us know what is the scope of forensic anthropology in Indian and global scenario?
To be frank, I have not travelled regarding anthropological studies, but yes Forensic Anthropology has a wide scope both in India as well as in global scenario. Job opportunities may be little less in India as compared to other countries, and the reasons for it may be varied. Identification of an individual from skeletal remains is an interesting as well as a daunting task to perform at the hand of Forensic Anthropologists.
3. Any massage you do want to give to the students who are planning to choose this field as their academic future?
Students who are planning to opt Forensic Anthropology as a career should focus on having a thorough theoretical as well as practical knowledge about different aspects of human body and its identification. They should obtain a training initially under a skilled professional in this field before getting to work on their own.
4. Any book you want to recommend to straighten the view of forensic anthropology to the students?
There are many good books to read in this field. But just to name a few, I would suggest Introduction to Forensic Anthropology By Steven N. Byers and Use of Forensic Anthropology by Robert Pickering. And many more.
Here is the List of Questions with Answers along with explanation
Ques 1. ………………is a place where the two halves of the pelvis meet and is a good indicator of age determination in adults.
a) Epiphysis
b) Datum Point
c) Pubic Symphysis
d) Zygoma
Answer - (C) Pubic Symphysis
Explanation: The pubic symphysis is the place at the pelvis where left and right pelvic bone joins together with small amount of cartilage. The physical characteristics of this bone changes gradually in a predictable way according the persons age. The pubic symphysis is probably the best single criterion for determining age from third to fifth decades. The pubic symphysis is the most anterior point of the pelvis where the two pubis bones articulate together. The wear on the articular surfaces of the pubis bones is an accurate assessment of age at death. As a young adult this surface has a billowed appearance with ridges running in the transverse plane. As the individual becomes older these ridges erode and surface becomes grainy. After complete erosion, the surface becomes depressed creating a raised rim around the articular surface. At this stage, pitting is often observable. In the oldest individuals, the rim has also been eroded away, deepening the articular surface.
Ques 2. Superimposition, a technique used in forensic anthropology is applied to which of the following?
a) Pelvis and Skull
b) Skull
c) Femur and Ribs
d) Femur and Pelvis
Answer: (b) Skull
Explanation: Superimposition is the technique applied to determine whether the skull is that of the person in the photograph. This technique was applied by Glaister and Brash in 1935 in the most famous case of Ruxton case. The photograph need not be front view of the face; even lateral and semi-lateral view of face can be used. A recent photograph is better. If the negative of photograph is not available, negative of the available photograph is prepared by recopying it.
The photograph is enlarged to natural size from the presence of some standard thing in the photograph of the missing person to indicate the scale. In the absence of a standard for the measurement of face in the photograph, photographs of the skull and face are superimposed by adjusting the magnifications until the interpupillary distances correspond, on the assumption that the interpupillary distance in one individual is always same when the eyes move in different directions. The negative is placed under the ground-glass of camera and salient features of the face are marked out carefully on the glass. The soft parts are removed from the skull. A comparison can be made even in the absence of the lower jaw. The skull is mounted on an appropriate skull rest, so as to align as accurately as possible with the outline of the head on the ground-glass in the corresponding portrait making due allowance for the soft tissues covering the bone. The distance of the camera is adjusted so that the one inch scale on the ground-glass of the camera is exactly equal to the scale on the skull. Thus, when photographed, gives a life-sized negative of the skull. The negatives of the photographs and the skull are superimposed by aligning the characteristic points in the negatives.
The two superimposed negatives are then photographed on bromide paper. The resulting superimposed photograph brings out the points of similarity or dissimilarity between the photograph and the skull. The superimposition is correct, if the outlines and the size of the skull accurately correspond to the face in the photograph. A clear effect of the superimposed area can be obtained by combining the negative of the skull with the positive of the portrait. For this, positive portrait and negative of the skull are rephotographed on X-ray film, thus producing a transparent positive of the skull. Finally, the two films are bound together in register and thus superimposed; they are then re-photographed on X-ray film by transmitted light.
Ques 3. The best method for the determination of age upto 14 years is:
a) Ossification Centres
b) Circumference of the Head
c) Anthropometry
d) Dentition
Answer: (d) Dentition
Explanation: Age can be estimated in children and in adolescents by means of development and eruption of deciduous and permanent teeth up to 14 years. After the age of 14 years, the third molar is the only remaining tooth which is still developing; and consequently, dental age estimation methods have to rely on the development of this tooth until the age of 16-24 years. After this period, age determination is mainly done by visual examination, radiographic methods, and structural changes in teeth and by means of biochemical methods.
Ques 4. Trepanation is an example of
a) Cultural Modification of Cranium.
b) A marker on the bone to determine the habitual activity.
c) Chemical Analysis of Bone
d) Changes in the pelvis
Answer: (a)- Cultural Modification of Cranium
Explanation: Trepanation (also known as trepanning or burr holing) is a surgical intervention where a hole is drilled, incised or scraped into the skull using simple surgical tools. In drilling into the skull and removing a piece of the bone, the dura mater is exposed without damage to the underlying blood-vessels, meninges and brain. Trephination has been used to treat health problems associated with intracranial diseases, epileptic seizures, migraines and mental disorders by relieving pressure. There is also evidence it was used as a primitive form of emergency surgery to remove shattered pieces of bone from fractured skulls after receiving a head wound, and cleaning out the pools of blood that would form underneath the skull. This method was used since the primitive era to modern age and evidences are found in many cases of archeological analysis
Ques 5. Which branch of anthropology is concerned with the reconstruction of past cultural systems?
a) Cultural Anthropology
b) Archaeology
c) Linguistic Anthropology
d) Physical Anthropology
Answer: (b)- Archaeology
Explanation: Anthropology is the observation of human population, along with their cultures, and biology. Anthropology can be alienated into the study of human biology and human culture, and these can be subdivided into the study of the past and the present. In this way, the forensic anthropology has been divided into 4 discipline which are as follows:
Paleo-anthropology: A branch of forensic anthropology which deals with the biological study of human populations from ancient times.
Bio-anthropology: A branch of anthropology which deals with the biological assessment of recent or current human populations.
Archaeology: A branch of anthropology which deals with the observation human population from their cultural system.
Ethnology: a branch of anthropology which deal with the study of current human cultures
Ques 6. Which of the following best describes the biological profile of a person?
a) Age & Sex
b) Stature, Age & Sex
c) Sex & Stature
d) Ancestry, Age, Sex & Stature
Answer: (d)- Ancestry, Age, Sex & Stature
Explanation: The biological profile comprised of sex, ancestry, stature, and age at death estimations is used to compare the data from unidentified remains to reported missing persons in order to generate leads in cases that have no tentative identification. The biological profile, conducted by a forensic anthropologist, is necessary for severely decomposed or skeletonized remains. It is crucial to have a correct estimate of sex, as this designation will narrow down the search through missing persons reports by half
After it has been determined that the bone is human and of fairly recent origin, the process of identification begins. First, class characteristics will be determined as part of a biological profile. Then, if possible, individual characteristics will be determined that could lead to absolute identification. The class characteristics will enable the anthropologist to classify the skeletal remains in a subgroup such as males or a member of a particular race. Other factors such as stature, socioeconomic status, and time since death may also be determined. Because there is variation in skeletal characteristics among individuals within the same subgroup, it is sometimes necessary to consult databases or collections of skeletons that belong to a particular subgroup so that the range of variation within a subgroup can be known. The more common class characteristics that are determined as part of a biological profile are age, sex, race and stature.
Ques 7. The bone that forms the back of the skull bone above the nape is known as?
a) Temporal
b) Mandible
c) Occipital
d) Frontal and Zygmoid
Answer: (c) Occipital
Explanation: The occipital bone is the trapezoidal-shaped bone found at the lower-back area of the cranium. The occipital is cupped like a saucer in order to house the back part of the brain. This curved bone contains the foramen magnum, a large oval hole that allows the medulla oblongata to travel from the brain and connect to the vertebral canal. In addition to the medulla oblongata, the foramen magnum houses the accessory nerves (which provide nerves to the neck and shoulder), the alar ligaments (which help stabilize the head and neck), and the membrana tectoria (a ligament that connects the spine to the occipital bone). This collection allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the body via the spine and aids in rotating the head. The medulla oblongata also contains the posterior spinal arteries and vertebral arteries, which supply blood to the brain.
Ques 8. The preauricular sulcus is used for the following:
a) Determination of Age
b) Determination of Sex
c) Both of the above.
d) Determination of Race
Answer: (b) Determination of Sex
Explanation: The preauricular sulcus is a groove frequently seen on the iliac bone, adjacent and parallel to the inferior surface of the sacroiliac joint and is a normal variant that is described to be characteristic of the bony female pelvis. In males its presence is infrequent, when present it is narrow and Shallow while in females it is frequently present, and is broader and deeper than males.
Ques 9. Which of the following confirms the questioned material to be a bone?
a) Haversian Canal
b) Red Blood Cells
c) Carbon
d) Oxygen
Answer: (a)- Haversian Canal.
Explanation: In many forensic anthropology cases, there are only fragments of bone present and the component described above may not be present in sufficient quantity or quality to identify the bone. It may be necessary to identify the material as bone using its microstructure. A thin cross section of a bone sample is prepared. There are special growth units in bone called osteons. They are deposited in layers and eventually form chambers. The chambers contain canals that blood vessels travel to reach each cell in the bone. This network of canals is called the Haversian system. The individual cells in the bone are called osteocytes and make up most of the compact bone. Osteocytes are connected by a microscopic canal system called the canaliculi. Even if bone is burned, it can usually be identified by the presence of Haversian canals.
In cases where whole bones or large pieces of bone are present, identification is usually straightforward. In those cases where there are only fragments of bone or it has been burned or bleached or otherwise damaged, then microscopic analysis must be used. In these cases, the presence of Haversian canals is proof that the material is bone.
Ques 10. Suture lines present on the ……….are helpful in determining the ……….of the victim.
a) Jaw, race
b) Skull, age
c) Pelvis, sex
d) Skull, sex
Answer: (b)- Skull, Age.
Explanation: The skull of most vertebrates is made up of bony plates that allow for growth of the skull. The borders where these plates intersect are called sutures or suture lines. Cranial sutures are also accurate measures of age at death. Sutures undergo continuous obliteration after an individual has finished growing and the degree to which different sutures are closed can give good estimates. Although there are multiple sutures in the cranium, the focus here will be the coronal, the sagittal, and the lambdoidal sutures. Each suture is ranked in a four-point system, with each category corresponding to a different level of closure:
Level 0: open
Level 1: minimal closure
Level 2: significant closure
Level 3: complete obliteration
After each suture has been ranked accordingly, the scores are added to create a composite score. The composite score give an age range for the individual under examination.
Ques 11. Taphonomic Analysis of the victim can be useful in determining
a) Time since death
b) Diet of the individual
c) Sex of the individual
d) The stature of the individual
Answer: (a) Time since death.
Explanation: Taphonomic analysis has been defined simply as the study of what happens to a human body after death. It traces events following the death or Time since death of an organism toexplain the condition of the remains. Numerous factors must be considered, including decomposition, animal predation and scattering, weathering and temperature variation, burial, submersion in water, erosion, burning, etc. It is essential to be familiar with the manifestations of these factors in order to establish vital information such as time since death and distinguish the effects of environmental events from antemortem or perimortem disease or trauma.
Ques 12. Anthropometry can be best described as:
a) Studying human intelligence
b) Comparative study of human and non-human primate skeletal materials.
c) Measurement of human bodies for anthropological classification & comparison.
d) Study of measurement systems used by different cultures.
Answer: (c)- Measurement of human bodies for anthropological classification & comparison
Explanation: Anthropometry is the science of obtaining systematic measurements of the human body. Anthropometry first developed in the 19th century as a method employed by physical anthropologists for the study of human variation and evolution in both living and extinct populations. In particular, such anthropometric measurements have been used historically as a means to associate racial, cultural, and psychological attributes with physical properties. Specifically, anthropomorphic measurements involve the size (e.g., height, weight, surface area, and volume), structure (e.g., sitting vs. standing height, shoulder and hip width, arm/leg length, and neck circumference), and composition (e.g., percentage of body fat, water content, and lean body mass) of humans.
Ques 13. Stable Isotope Analysis includes the chemical studies that measure ………… in the collagen of bone to reconstruct prehistoric human diet.
a) Oxygen and Hydrogen
b) Lead and Uranium
c) Carbon and Nitrogen
d) Sulfur and Carbon
Answer: (c) Carbon and Nitrogen
Explanation: Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have an equal number of protons and unequal number of neutrons, giving them slightly different weights. They can be divided into two categories—radioactive and stable.
Radioactive isotopes (for example C-14) decay over time, a property which makes them very important tools for dating archaeological finds, soils or rocks.
Stable isotopes have a stable nucleus that does not decay. Their abundance therefore stays the same over time, which allows for many useful applications in archaeology (and other disciplines like ecology or forensic science).
Carbon (13C/12C = δ13C) and nitrogen (15N/14N = δ15N) isotope values of mammal bone collagen are related to the isotope ratios of foods consumed. In humans, the carbon and nitrogen isotope values indicate the sources of dietary protein over many years of life
Carbon isotope values indicate if the main source of dietary protein was from marine or terrestrial resources and can distinguish between the consumption of C4 and C3 photosynthetic pathway plants (or, in the case of omnivores or carnivores, animals that consumed C3 food source includes Wheat, Rice,Tuber, Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables or C4 plants includes millet and sugar cane. Nitrogen isotopes indicate the trophic level position of organisms
Ques 14. Which of the following suture fuses at a very early age?
a) Lambdoid Suture
b) Metopic Suture
c) Sagittal Suture
d) Coronal Suture
Answer: (b) Metopic Suture
Explanation: The chronological ages for sutural closure are as follows:
Metopic suture: fusion starts at 3-9 months and completes at about 2to4 years
Sagittal suture: fusion starts at 25 years and completes at about 30 to 35 years
Coronal: Fusion starts approximately at 25-30 years and completes at about 30-40 years
Lambdoid: Fusion starts approximately 30 years and completes at about 45-50 years
Squamosal: above 80 years.
Ques 15. The suture that separates the parietal bones from the occipital bone is known as:
a) Coronal Suture
b) Sagittal Suture
c) Lambdoid Suture
d) Metopic Suture
Answer: (c)- Lamboid suture
Explanation: The four major sutures are the coronal, sagittal, lambdoid, and squamous sutures. They connect the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital bones.
The coronal suture: joins the frontal bone to the parietal bones.
The sagittal suture: joins the two parietal bones to each other.
The lambdoid suture: joins the parietal bones to the occipital bone.
The squamous suture: joins the parietal bones to the temporal bones.
Ques 16. Which of the following is not helpful in estimation of the stature of an individual?
a) Carrea’s Index
b) Cephalic Index
c) Crural Index
d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) Cephalic Index.
Explanation: The important test for determining race is the cephalic index or index of breadth, which is obtained by multiplying the maximum breadth of the skull measured transversely by 100 and dividing the result by the greatest length measured from forehead to backwards. Skulls having the cephalic index between 70 and 74.5, as observed among the Aborigines and pure Aryans, are called Dolichocephalic or long-headed ; skulls denoting 75 to 79.9 cephalic index are called mesati-cephalic and are characteristic of the Europeans and Chinese, while skulls with 80 to 84.9 cephalic index are termed brachy-cephalic or short-headed, as observed in the Mongolian race.
Ques 17. Osteon Counting is a specialized technique for ………………………….
a) Determining the age of a person
b) Determining the cause of death.
c) Personal Identification
d) Determining the race of the person.
Answer: (a) Determining the age of the person
Explanation: Osteon counting (an osteon is the microscopic bone unit of compact bone consisting of the Haversian cannal and surrounding lamekkae) is a specialized technique of determining the age of the person.
Ques 18. Which of the following method employs determination of age from teeth by counting the incremental lines?
a) Boyde’s Method
b) Gustafson’s Method
c) Daliz Method
d) Stack’s Method
Answer: (a) Boyde’s Method.
Explanation: Cross striations develop in the enamel of teeth, till the complete formation of enamel. They represent daily incremental lines. The age of an individual can be calculated in terms of days by counting the number of lines from the neonatal line onwards. Neonatal line is formed very soon after birth and can be seen in about three weeks or by electron microscopy within one to two days after birth. This method is applicable mainly to infants. The age so calculated is accurate with an error of around 20 days..
Ques 19. Karl Pearson’s formula is used for the determination of ………
a) Age
b) Stature
c) Race
d) Ancestry
Answer: (c) Stature.
Explanation: This formula was used worldwide for a long period to estimate the stature of a person. It gives different calculating factors for bones from subjects, depending on whether the bones are wet with intact cartilages or are dried and devoid of cartilage. For each long bone, there is a separate multiplying factor. A constant factor (different for each bone)is to be added to the product of the length of the bone with the multiplying factor 2.5–4 cm is to be added for the soft parts
Ques 20. …………..is a computer program for the determination of ancestry based on the cranial measurements.
a) CEDAR FOX
b) FORDISC
c) FISH
d) AFIS
Answer: FORDISC.
Explanation: FORDISC acronyms as Forensic Discriminant is a computer program designed to determine ancestry from human skeletal remains. This program created by Stephen Ousley and Richard Jantz, is widely used by forensic anthropologist to assist in the creation of a decedents biological profile when only parts of the cranium are available. The use of discriminant function analysis in this program allows the researcher to sort individuals into specific groups that are defined by certain criteria. In this program discriminate function analysis "analyzes specific groups with known membership in discrete categories such as ancestry, language, sex, tribe, and provides a basis for the classification of new individuals with unknown group membership. “The program compares potential profiles to data contained in a database of skeletal measurements of modern humans. Using FORDISC, a decedent’s biological profile can be created based on measurements from various areas of bones, along with information about the person's age, height, race, and illnesses. For ancestry, FORDISC uses standard anthropometric measurements including maximum length, maximum breadth, bi-zygomatic breadth, orbital breadth and height, maximum alveolar breadth and width, minimum frontal breadth, basion-bregma, basion-prosthion, cranial base length, bi-auricular breadth, upper facial height and breadth, foramen magnum breadth and length, frontal chord, parietal chord, occipital chord, nasal height and breadth, bi-orbital breadth, interorbital breadth, and mastoid length.