ANTH Forensic Anthropology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which pelvic feature is most reliable for estimating biological sex from skeletal remains?
- Greater sciatic notch width (Correct answer)
- Femoral head diameter
- Cranial suture closure
- Sternal rib end shape
Correct answer: Greater sciatic notch width
A wider, more open greater sciatic notch is characteristic of female pelves and is among the most reliable sexing traits.
Question 2: The pubic symphysis is primarily used by forensic anthropologists to estimate what?
- Ancestry
- Age at death (Correct answer)
- Cause of death
- Stature
Correct answer: Age at death
Progressive changes in the pubic symphyseal face correlate with adult age at death.
Question 3: Perimortem fractures are distinguished from postmortem breaks mainly by which characteristic?
- Presence of bone remodeling
- Green-bone (plastic) response with sharp edges (Correct answer)
- White dry-bone color at break
- Right-angle fracture surfaces
Correct answer: Green-bone (plastic) response with sharp edges
Perimortem trauma occurs when bone is still fresh and elastic, producing plastic deformation and beveled or sharp edges.
Question 4: Which method estimates stature by measuring long bones and applying population-specific equations?
- Suchey-Brooks method
- Trotter and Gleser regression (Correct answer)
- Phenice technique
- Carbon-14 dating
Correct answer: Trotter and Gleser regression
Trotter and Gleser developed regression formulae relating long-bone length to living stature.
Question 5: Beveling on the exit side of a cranial gunshot wound helps establish what?
- The caliber of the weapon
- Directionality of the projectile (Correct answer)
- Time since death
- Sex of the individual
Correct answer: Directionality of the projectile
Internal beveling marks entrance and external beveling marks exit, revealing the direction of travel.
Question 6: What does the term 'commingled remains' refer to?
- Remains altered by fire
- Skeletal elements from multiple individuals mixed together (Correct answer)
- Bones with healed trauma
- Remains recovered underwater
Correct answer: Skeletal elements from multiple individuals mixed together
Commingling occurs when bones from two or more individuals are intermixed and must be sorted.
Question 7: Cranial suture closure is considered a relatively imprecise method for estimating what?
- Ancestry
- Age at death (Correct answer)
- Stature
- Handedness
Correct answer: Age at death
Suture closure correlates loosely with age but has wide variability, making it less reliable than other methods.
ANTH Forensic Anthropology 2
Which pelvic feature is most reliable for estimating biological sex from skeletal remains?