ANTHROP 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Forensic Pathology, Biological Anthropology, Homicide

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTHROP 1AA3
• Professor: Karen Mc Garry

Document Summary

Lecture eight: investigate scene, collect evidence, help with autopsy, interview suspects, analyze evidence, make arrests. Involved in research, recovery, and analysis: phd in biological anthropology, human remains that are, badly decomposed, skeletonized, do a biological profile, age, sex, ancestry. Identifying traits: trauma, postmortem (after death) damage. Forensic anthropologists generally do not . : perform autopsies, make the final determination of cause or manner of death (e. g. , homicide vs. suicide, coroner or forensic pathologist does this, take down criminals in a blazing gun fight!! Process of decomposition: breakdown & destruction of organic tissues, autolysis degeneration of body tissues by digestive fluids, putrefaction bacteria reproduce & start to consume tissues, muscles. Most to least important: temperature, humidity, access by insects, burial & depth of burial (or immersion in water)