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FM4.1-5,FM14.{4,8} | Identification — Graded Quiz
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A 25-year-old female is missing. Police submit skeletal remains found in a forest. The sub-pubic angle is 105°, sciatic notch is wide and shallow, and the pelvic inlet is circular. The forensic examination should report sex as:
Sub-pubic angle > 90° = female; wide, shallow sciatic notch = female; circular/oval pelvic inlet = female. All three features concordantly indicate female sex. Pelvis alone provides 95%+ accuracy.
Female pelvis: sub-pubic > 90°, wide sciatic notch, oval/circular inlet, wider inter-acetabular distance. Male: < 90°, narrow notch, heart-shaped inlet. Concordant features increase reliability.
Sub-pubic angle > 90° is FEMALE (not male). Male = < 90° (acute). This combination of three concordant pelvic features confirms female sex with high confidence.
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Using Gustafson's method on a molar tooth, the following scores are recorded: Attrition 2, Periodontosis 1, Secondary dentine 2, Cementum 1, Root resorption 1, Root transparency 1. The age is estimated using the formula Age = 11.43 + 4.56 × (total score). What is the estimated age?
Total score = 2+1+2+1+1+1 = 8. Age = 11.43 + (4.56 × 8) = 11.43 + 36.48 = 47.91 ≈ 47 years.
Gustafson formula: Age = 11.43 + 4.56 × (sum of 6 scores). Sum range 0-18. Standard error ±3.6 years. Most accurate for ages 20-70 years on intact teeth.
Total score is 8 (not 4, 5, or 9). Apply formula: 11.43 + (4.56 × 8) = 47.9 years ≈ 47 years. Practice the arithmetic: each criterion is 0-3, total 0-18.
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Skeletal remains are submitted for age estimation. All long bone epiphyses are fused. The medial clavicular epiphysis shows partial fusion with a visible epiphyseal line. The BEST age estimate is:
Partial fusion of medial clavicle (still showing epiphyseal line) with all other fused epiphyses → age 20-25 years. Complete fusion of medial clavicle = > 25 years.
Medial clavicle: begins fusing 22-25 years, complete by 28-30 years. It is the last epiphysis to fuse. Partial line visible = 22-25; complete fusion = > 28 years. Critical for legal adult-age disputes.
18-20 years: femoral head and iliac crest would still be unfused. 30-35: medial clavicle would be fully fused. Partial clavicle fusion = 20-25 years transition.
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A 16-year-old boy without birth documents is brought to court for age assessment. Dental examination shows all permanent teeth erupted except the third molar (just emerging at the gumline). Wrist X-ray shows iliac crest epiphysis beginning to appear. BEST age estimate is:
Third molar beginning eruption (17+ years) + iliac crest epiphysis just appearing (13-15 years epiphysis, fuses 20-21) → concordant with 17-18 years. Iliac crest appearance alone is 13-15, but emergence is earlier.
Age estimation for legal purposes uses multiple markers: dental eruption + skeletal ossification + anthropometric measures. In India: POCSO Act uses age 18 as threshold — always document each criterion separately.
Third molar appears at 17-25 years; its initial emergence suggests ≥ 17 years. Iliac crest epiphysis appears at 13-15 years — not indicative of 21-22 years (fusion age). Together, 17-18 is most consistent.
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A mass disaster involving 50 fatalities requires rapid identification. The MOST efficient first-line identification strategy is:
INTERPOL DVI protocol: systematic use of primary identifiers (fingerprints, dental, DNA) in parallel, starting with fastest available modality, matching ante-mortem to post-mortem data systematically.
DVI protocol (INTERPOL): primary identifiers — fingerprints (fastest), dental records (reliable, rapid), DNA (slowest, most reliable). Secondary: personal effects, anthropology. Use in parallel, not sequence.
Visual identification by family is unreliable and traumatic. DNA for all 50 is slow and expensive as first line. Superimposition is only useful when photographs are available and is presumptive. DVI protocol maximises efficiency.
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In the Demirjian method of dental age estimation, the method is MOST applicable for which age group?
Demirjian method uses radiographic staging of seven mandibular teeth (A-H development stages); validated for children 3-17 years. Most useful in forensic paediatric age cases.
Age estimation by dental method: children (3-17) → Demirjian/Schour-Massler (development stages); adults (20-70) → Gustafson (degeneration criteria). Use population-specific charts in India.
Demirjian is specifically designed for children using tooth development stages (not eruption or degeneration). Adults use Gustafson's (regression on degeneration). Neonates use deciduous bud charts.
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To determine stature from a complete skeleton, which combination gives the MOST accurate estimate?
When the full skeleton is available, segmental height reconstruction (summing vertebral heights + long bone lengths + head height + correction factors) is more accurate than single-bone regression.
Stature estimation accuracy: full skeletal reconstruction > femur regression > tibia > other long bones. Single-bone formulae are used only when the full skeleton is unavailable. Always report ± error range.
Single-bone regression (femur) is used when only that bone is available. Skull × 8 is unreliable. Full skeleton allows segmental reconstruction which is more accurate than any regression formula.
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Rugoscopy (palatal rugae examination) is used in forensic identification because palatal rugae are:
Palatal rugae are unique to individuals, present from birth, stable throughout life, and protected by surrounding structures during fire/trauma — making them useful for identification, especially in dental disasters.
Rugoscopy: unique, stable, fire/decomposition-resistant palatal rugae patterns. Used in dental disasters, burn victims, or where fingerprints are unavailable. Presumptive, not positive identification.
Rugoscopy is not sole identification (presumptive method, not gold standard). Rugae are present from infancy (not adults only). Edentulous identification uses dental prosthetics/records too.
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In an Indian male skeleton, the femur length is 46 cm. Using Pearson's formula for Indians (Stature = 2.15 × femur + 72.57), the estimated stature is closest to:
Stature = (2.15 × 46) + 72.57 = 98.9 + 72.57 = 171.47 ≈ 172 cm. Always apply the sex-specific and population-specific formula.
Stature formulae require population-specific tables. In exams, practice the arithmetic: multiply bone length by regression coefficient, add constant, state ± standard error. Always specify which formula was applied.
Calculation: 2.15 × 46 = 98.9; 98.9 + 72.57 = 171.47 cm ≈ 172 cm. Choice 162 would require femur ~42 cm; 180 would need femur ~50 cm.
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Forensic entomology contributes to identification in decomposed remains primarily by:
Forensic entomology estimates minimum PMI from the developmental stage of colonising insects (blowfly succession), time since death can be calculated from egg → larva → pupa stages.
Forensic entomology: blowfly succession stages (egg → first/second/third instar larva → pupa → adult) used to estimate minimum PMI. Calliphora and Lucilia species are primary indicators in Indian conditions.
Insect patterns cannot determine race or recover fingerprints. While insect guts may contain human DNA (used experimentally), the primary forensic use is PMI estimation from arthropod succession stages.
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