Death and Bones

What is liver mortis? How might this reveal information about the time of death?
Liver mortis is the settling of blood in the lowest part of the body after death. This occurs 8-12 hours after death and it helps investigators tell if the body has been moved or touched.
What three aspects does a forensic autopsy seek information about? Describe each of these aspects.
They seek cause of death and the problem that lead to death. They look at the mechanism of death to help figure this out and the manner of death.
How can digestion rates give information to forensic scientists about the time of death?
This tells investigators when someone could have died because the digestion ceases when someone dies.
What is mummification?
Mummification is the drying of the body and the tissues on a body
How can human bones give forensic scientists can indication of age? Describe some of the aspects that would give this information.
They focus on the lengths of bones to see if they compare with the average age range and also look at the conditions of bones.

Imagine that you are at a crime scene. You find skeletal remains, but the skeleton is not complete as some of the smaller bones are missing. The bones are within a twenty feet radius. Based on this information, what would you be able to ascertain about the time of death and the individual who was killed?

Out of the different methods to help determine the time of death, which one do you think is most effective? Why?
Do you think you would like to participate in an autopsy? Why or why not?
If you were a forensic anthropologist and were studying human remains, what information would you look for in the bones? Why would this information be helpful?
What can the distribution of bones tell a forensic scientist? What do you think would be the most challenging aspect of collecting skeletal remains at a crime scene?