Different traumas done to bones Forensic anthropologists will use their skills and education in order to discover the different traumas that can occur to bones. The different types of trauma that will be discussed in this paper are projectile, sharp and blunt. Projectile trauma is most associated with firearms and bullets. Knowing what type of projectile caused the injury to the bone can help in locating the type of gun used, which can lead to a suspect. “When faced with a skeleton containing projectile wounds, forensic anthropologists should aim to supply as much information concerning the causative weapon as possible law enforcement officials.” according to Introduction to forensic anthropology (Byers, 2011, p. 248) With projectile trauma …show more content…
285) These types of injuries usually come from knives, axes, or other weapons like that. In some instances, a sharp trauma will look like a line across the bone. So, if someone is not trained in knowing what these marks are, they can be easily over looked. According to Byers (2011) “sharp trauma is the result of narrowly focused, dynamic compression forces applied to the surface of a bone.” (p. 285) Unlike blunt or projectile trauma, sharp force will be focused in a single area, unless the suspect us using an ax or machete there won’t be a large amount destruction to the bones. Using an ax or machete however can severely damage the bones that can look like blunt trauma. So, it is important for the forensic anthropologist to be able to distinguish between them. In conclusion, a trained forensic anthropologist is an important factor to consider when the trauma on the bone occurred, how it occurred and what type it is. With no longer having the flesh on the body, it can make finding cause of death difficult, which is why the forensic anthropologist is
In unit six we learned about anthropology and entomology and how forensic scientist use it different cases. Even though entomology was not that useful in The Oklahoma bombing case, anthropology was extremely useful for identifying the victims. Since it was an explosion, Forensic anthropologist had to study different remains of the victim's body and use different techniques (such as examining bone development) to identify who they were. For example, the death toll was originally 169 people (one person higher) than it is now because of an unidentified left leg was found and they couldn’t find the body it originally came from. Later, medical examiners compared the size of the tibia of the leg to other victims right leg. Finally forensic found
“This is my lab and what we do is study bones,” states Kari Bruwelheide in her video entitled “30,000 Skeletons”. Of the three resources that we were provided, “Puzzles of the Chesapeake” by Sally Walker, “Forensic Anthropology” by an unknown author, and “30,000 Skeletons” by Smithsonian Education presented by Kari Bruwelheide, the resource “30,000 Skeletons” is by far the best at explaining the role of an anthropologist. It is unbeatable because it is a video rather than just written words, and Kari Bruwelheide has personal experience in being a forensic anthropologist. A forensic anthropologist is a scientist that studies human remains, or in another word, skeletons, to try to find out information about the past.
In the Forensic Case #356228, skeletal remains of both human and animal were discovered in a hunting area. The skeletal remains were of potential victims named as either Robert Rutherford or Stephen Morton. Robert Rutherford, potential victim #1, was an African American, 65 years or age, had a pacemaker, carried a Gerber 650 knife, had unknown religious affiliations, and was 5’ft 6”inches tall. Potential victim #2, was Stephen Morton, a Caucasian 40 years of age, had a heart condition, was a hunter in the same area, also had unknown religious affiliations, carried a Gerber 650 knife, and was 5’ ft 7” inches tall.
Forensic science is a key aspect of Criminal Justice that helps rid the streets of lunatics and murderers. One of the most important fields of forensic science is blood spatter analysis. Under the Crime Scene Investigation, analysts gather the information that could eventually lead to a victim’s killer. Basic and complex information can be found when analyzing blood. We can learn what kind of weapon was used, the time of death of a victim and other important facts that can help a case. The pattern that the blood gives off give forensic scientists the tools that they need to help solve cases.
Forensic anthropology is the study of bones in relation to a criminal investigation. Some have probably seen it used on television, but this is not an accurate portrayal of what this truly is. Many times, this area of forensic science is hidden from the public eye; people only get to see all of the glamorous parts. What they do not see is all of the hard work and effort that is put in to get the job correctly done. This career is a rare decision for someone to choose, because of the lack of opportunity for employment positions as well as the low income per year; however, it is an extremely fascinating occupation. Forensic anthropology has been known to help many organizations, including museums, and law enforcement agencies.
Believe it or not, wounds from a victim are also evidence. The wound can allow the investigators to match up any marks that could have been made from the weapon and therefore allows them to determine at what angle, distance, and how fast the weapon was used.
Wound specimen vary from crime scene to crime scene such as; gunshot wound, stab wounds, defense wounds, rape wounds, blows from blunt objects, poisoning, strangulation, hanging, burns, explosions, electrocution, lightning, burning, hanging, and smothering, just to name a few. There are numerous classifications of wounds, most of which can let qualified investigators know more about the manner of death. Forensic pathologists' have the role in investigating medical examination of the body. They also assist investigation by relating the evidence to the autopsy findings. They will examine the wound, and tell if it was inflicted the wound and what instrument caused it. Pretty much all of the evidence that guide the examiner to consummate that the death was murder also allows for it to be sustainable evidence for the investigation and prosecuting the case; so that pathologists and investigators work closely together (Orthman-Hess, 2013).
Forensic anthropology is going to be useful in this profession because I will be able to determine things by analyzing the victim’s bones not just by looking at the soft tissue or what appears on the surface. The tools I will learn with this minor are going to set me apart from other applicants. They will bring a whole new set of skills to the table that maybe someone else cannot offer. Such as analyzing the bugs that are found on the body to help determine time of
On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, Katherine Stang, Aresh Kabirnavaei, and Andrew Roller, all students in the Master’s of Forensic Science program gave thesis presentations to the Forensic Seminar Class. The following paragraphs will summarize each topic.
Many students decide to become a forensic anthropologist after watching highly glamorized television shows that depict these scientists as intuitive crime solvers. The field of forensic anthropology is heavily involved in the criminal justice system, but biological anthropology is equally important.
In today’s time, modern Crime Scene Investigation has increased rapidly. From throughout the late 1900’s and in the early 2000’s (Taylor 1). For all of the evidence that they find, a solid foundation has formed over the thousands of years of Crime Scene
Forensic pathologists are the people who determine the cause and time of death if the deceased person died under suspicious circumstances, whether they be violent or not. They determine if the death was accidental, a homicide, natural, a suicide, or even if the cause of death was unknown. They do this by studying said victim’s medical history, evaluating the crime scene for evidence, studying the body for any clues, and performing an autopsy. After determining the cause, time, and the manner in which the victim died, forensic pathologists make a written report on the victim and sometimes testify in court to report their findings.
Ressel, L., Hetzel, U., & Ricci, E. (2016). Blunt Force Trauma in Veterinary Forensic Pathology. Veterinary Pathology, 53(5), 941-961. doi:10.1177/0300985816653988
Forensic Science, recognized as Forensics, is the solicitation of science to law to understand evidences for crime investigation. Forensic scientists are investigators that collect evidences at the crime scene and analyse it uses technology to reveal scientific evidence in a range of fields. Physical evidence are included things that can be seen, whether with the naked eye or through the use of magnification or other analytical tools. Some of this evidence is categorized as impression evidence2.In this report I’ll determine the areas of forensic science that are relevant to particular investigation and setting out in what method the forensic science procedures I have recognized that would be useful for the particular crime scene.
Forensic dentists have played a major role in the identification of remains in mass disasters, in crime investigations, in ethnic studies, and in the identification of decomposed and disfigured bodies in situations such as fire and car accidents (1). Teeth are considered to be a great form for identification as teeth are mostly composed of enamel. Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and can withstand extremely harsh conditions (1). Two forms of dental identification of humans exist. These two forms are comparative and when no ante-mortem (before death) dental records are available. The comparative form of identification compares the ante-mortem and post-mortem (after death) dental records (1). Dental records con...