Chapter 7. Attribution of Ancestry

Chapter 7. Attribution of Ancestry.

TRUE/FALSE. Write "T" if the statement is true and "F" if it is false

1. The terms White, Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American are categories of people that are used by law enforcement officials.
Answer: True      p. 131

2. The most common ancestral group in the United States is White.
Answer: True      p. 132

3. The most useful structure of the cranial skeleton for determining ancestry is the vault.
Answer: False      p. 133

4. The nasal bridge of Asians projects more than that of Whites.
Answer: False      p. 134, 136

5. The nasal root in Whites is narrower than that in Blacks.
Answer: True      p. 134, 137

6. The nasal spine is largest in Whites of all of the other groups.
Answer: True      p. 135, 136

7. The lower border of the nose in Blacks has a distinct sill.
Answer: False      p. 138

8. Prognathism (jut of the jaw) is a characteristic normally associated with Whites.
Answer: False      p. 138

9. The shape of the eye orbits does not aid in the attribution of ancestry.
Answer: False      p. 138 – 139

10. Blacks can have a depression behind bregma that is not usual in Whites and Asians.
Answer: True      p. 140

11. The shape of the upper jaw of Asians is intermediate between those of Whites and Blacks.
Answer: True      p. 140, 141

12. The tibia has several characteristics that aid in the attribution of ancestry.
Answer: False      p. 141 – 142

13. There are both anthroposcopic and metric methods for attributing ancestry.
Answer: True      p. 133, 142

14. There are four indexes of the face that aid in the attribution of ancestry.
Answer: False      p. 143 – 144
15. There are direct measurements, indexes and discriminant functions that aid in the attribution of ancestry.
Answer: True      p. 142 – 148

16. The same discriminant functions can be used to attribute ancestry in males and females.
Answer: False      p. 145

17. It is not surprising that discriminant functions would use the width of the nose in the attribution of ancestry.
Answer: True      p. 138, 146

18. The Platymeric Index can be entered into a discriminant function to attribute ancestry.
Answer: True      p. 148

19. There are no characteristics of the jaw that can be used to assess ancestry.
Answer: False      p. 140, 148

20. Hair and skin color of decedents can be used, with caution, to attribute ancestry.
Answer: True      p. 149


MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

21. When a decomposed body is found and before any analysis is done, what is its most likely ancestry?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: A      p. 132

22. What is the least likely ancestry of the decomposed body described above?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Native American
Answer: D      p. 132

23. Which part of the cranial skeleton is most useful for attributing ancestry?
A   Nose
B   Face
C   Vault
D   Jaws and teeth
Answer: A      p. 133

24. Which part of the cranial skeleton is most useful for attributing ancestry?
A   Nose
B   Face
C   Vault
D   All of the above
Answer: D      p. 133 – 140

25. A skull is discovered with a dull lower border of the nose, large nasal spine, low nasal bridge and pronounced jut of the jaw. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: B      p. 133 – 141

26. A skull is discovered with a sharp lower border of the nose, medium nasal spine, low nasal bridge and circular eye orbits. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: C      p. 133 – 141

27. A skull is discovered with a sharp lower border of the nose, large nasal spine, projecting nasal bridge and narrow nose. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: A      p. 133 – 141

28. A skull is discovered with a sharp lower border of the nose, straight facial profile, heavy browridges and spatulate upper incisors. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: A      p. 133 – 141

29. A skull is discovered with a low nasal bridge, wide face, projecting lower border of the eye, and small browridges. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: C      p. 133 – 141
30. The upper jaw from a human skull is retrieved from a fire and its dental arch is rounded, with shovel-shaped incisors. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: C      p. 140

31. A femur is discovered that has an anteriorly curving shaft, mild torsion of the head and neck, and an intercondylar shelf of around 150. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Hispanic
Answer: A      p. 141 – 143

32. A skull is discovered with a femur. The Maxillofrontal Index is 25, the Zygoorobitral Index is 20 and an the Alpha Index is 40 while the Platymeric Index is 70.  What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Native American
Answer: D      p. 143 – 145

33. A femur has a Platymeric Index of 70 and a negative value from the Platymeric Index discriminant function.  What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Native American
D   Indeterminate
Answer: C      p. 144 – 145, 148

34. A femur has a straight shaft, mild torsion of the head and neck, a Platymeric Index of 90 and a positive value from the Platymeric Index discriminant function.  What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Native American
D   Indeterminate
Answer: B      p. 144 – 145, 148




35. A skull is found with a Maxillofrontal Index of 50, Zygoorobitral Index of 45 and an Alpha Index of 70.  What is the most likely race of this individual?
A   White
B   Native American
C   Black
D   None of the above
Answer: A      p. 145

36. A female skull is found and measured so that discriminant functions can be used to determine race. The values calculate to 85 on the White-Black scale and 125 on the White-Native American scale. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Native American
D   Hispanic
Answer: A      p. 145 - 146

37. A male skull is found and measured so that discriminant functions can be used to determine race. If the White versus Black function indicates White and the White versus Native American function indicates Native American, what is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Native American
Answer: D      p. 147

38. A lower jaw is found with a femur; the chin is rounded and the Platymeric Index discriminant function value is negative. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   Native American
Answer: D      p. 148

39. A lower jaw is found that has a pointed chin, a slanted ascending ramus, and a no enamel extensions on the molars. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   None of the above
Answer: A      p. 148 – 149




40. A lower jaw is found that has a rounded chin, vertical ascending ramus, enamel extensions on the molars, and a tuft of black hair. What is the most likely ancestral group of this individual?
A   White
B   Black
C   Asian
D   None of the above
Answer: C      p. 148 – 149