Chapter 18. Obtaining an Identification.TRUE/FALSE. Write "T" if the statement is true and "F" if it is false
1. Identifications can be of three types: positive, probable, and certain.
Answer: False p. 357
2. Comparison of pre- and postmortem radiographs of the teeth is the only way of obtaining a "positive" identification of skeletal remains.
Answer: False p. 357 – 360
3. Radiography of various skeletal elements can lead to "positive" identification of skeletal remains.
Answer: True p. 358
4. Scalloping of the upper borders of the frontal sinuses is not useful in obtaining a "positive" identification of skeletal remains.
Answer: False p. 358 – 359
5. The configuration of trabecular bone seen in radiographs of various skeletal structures can be used in obtaining a "positive" identification of skeletal remains.
Answer: True p. 359
6. An unusual healed trauma can aid in obtaining a "positive" identification of skeletal remains.
Answer: True p. 360
7. Identification of skeletal remains obtained by combining probabilities using Bayesian statistics cannot result in a positive identification.
Answer: False p. 361
8. The imposition of pictures of a person’s face over a skull cannot lead to positive exclusion
Answer: False p. 361
9. The point-by-point comparison of a picture of a person’s face superimposed over a skull can lead to a probable identification.
Answer: True p. 361 – 364
10. Many of the questions posed by forensic odontologists are similar to those of forensic anthropologists.
Answer: True p. 364
11. Ancestry can be easily determined from a person’s teeth.
Answer: False p. 365
12. Age at death can be determined from teeth only from the information on tooth formation and tooth eruption described in Chapter 9.
Answer: False p. 366
13. The point-by-point comparison of antemortem radiographs and records from decedents with postmortem examinations of their remains can lead to a positive identification.
Answer: True p. 367 – 371
14. Antemortem and postmortem radiographs of amalgams and other dental appliances are used by forensic odontologists to obtain a positive identification.
Answer: True p. 369 – 371
15. Identification by exclusion is useful in most forensic anthropological cases.
Answer: False p. 371
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
16. A forensic anthropologist would not make a positive identification of an individual from which of the following?
A Skull/face superimposition
B Comparison of pre- and postmortem radiographs
C Rare occurrences of malocclusion
D None of the above
Answer: A p. 357 – 371
17. In the past, which of the following has been used by forensic anthropologists to obtain a positive identification from radiography?
A Frontal sinuses
B Unique shape of first rib
C Odd contour of proximal edge of scapula
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 358
18. Which of the following cause problems in the comparison of antemortem and postmortem radiographs of the frontal sinuses when used to make a positive identification?
A Magnification of features in postmortem radiographs
B Differing angles between ante- and postmortem radiographs
C Blurry antemortem radiographs
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 359
19. Which of the following appliances can be used in obtaining a positive identification?
A Prosthetic hip
B Surgical plates
C Orthopedic appliance
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 360
20. Which of the following characteristics would not be used when obtaining a probable identification using Bayesian statistics?
A Demographic characteristics
B Position of body
C Skeletal pathology
D All of the above
Answer: B p. 361
21. Which of the following characteristics would not be examined during the analysis of skull/face superimposition?
A Position of ears
B Position of nose
C Thickness of the lips
D Height of face
Answer: C p. 362
22. Which of the following is not examined during the analysis of smile/teeth superimposition?
A Shoveling, cusp 7 and bushman canine
B Rotation of teeth
C Spacing between teeth
D Size of teeth
Answer: A p. 363
23. Which of the following is a question that a forensic odontologist would attempt to answer from the teeth of a forensic case?
A What class of tooth/teeth are present?
B Was the person male or female?
C What was the cause of death?
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 364
24. Which of the following characteristics of teeth are the most useful in attributing ancestry to decedents from their teeth?
A Shovel-shaped incisors
B Cusp 7 of molars
C Bushman canines
D All of the above are equally valuable
Answer: A p. 365
25. Which of the following characteristics is least able to be determined from teeth?
A Age at death
B Sex of decedent
C Teeth are from a “Civilized” person
D Cause of death
Answer: B p. 366
26. Which of the following characteristics would be determined during a postmortem dental exam of a decedent?
A Inventory of teeth
B Identification of amalgams and prosthetics
C Malocclusion, if present
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 367 – 371
27. Which of the following inconsistencies between antemortem and postmortem dental records would lead to an exclusion of a decedent?
A Difference in number of teeth present
B Difference in pattern of missing, filled, and unrestored teeth
C More amalgams seen postmortem than antemortem
D All of the above
Answer: B p. 368
28. During which of the following steps of positive identification from dentition would a decedent be excluded because of improperly fitting dental plates?
A Comparison of written records
B Comparison of casts and dental appliances
C Comparison of radiographs
D All of the above
Answer: B p. 369
29. Which of the following characteristics could be useful in obtaining a positive identification from decedents based on their occupation?
A Wear facets from pipe smoking
B Smoke staining
C Dental grooves
D Enamel hypoplasias
Answer: C p. 371
30. Which of the following can be used in an “identification by exclusion”?
A Only unidentified body in a plane crash
B Unidentified bodies in a mass grave
C Similar demographics to antemortem records
D All of the above
Answer: A p. 371