1. DNA Typing, Fingerprinting, and Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Medicine
DNA Typing, Fingerprinting, and Forensic Anthropology

2. DNA Typing What is DNA? Nucleus of cells contain RNA/DNA
DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid
Nucleus has 23 pairs of chromosomes made up of DNA
Within each pair, there is one chromosome from sperm and one from the egg

3. What makes DNA individual?
Four chemicals: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine
Chemical strung together = DNA code
Some sections of DNA vary from individual to individual
Scientists can link a strand of DNA to a given individual

4. Criminal Investigations
DNA specimens: blood, hair, bodily secretions (sweat, semen, vagina), bloodstained clothing
Provides powerfully compelling evidence
Has even proven innocence

5. Fingerprints
No other technique of identification can claim 100% reliability!
Infallible means of personal identification
Other personal characteristics can change, including DNA, fingerprints do not

6. History of Fingerprints
Early civilizations used branding, maiming, or tattoo to identify thieves or deserters from the military
Thumb prints in clay were used to “seal the deal” in business transactions in Mesopotamia

7. Hx
1880: Dr. Henry Faulds, a British surgeon, noted patterns of fingerprints on pieces of prehistoric pottery. Research led to eventual credit of realizing its use in identification through his development of a fundamental classification system
1892: Sir Francis Galton published the first book on technique that became the basis of modern fingerprinting science based on a 12 point system

8. United States History
1902: Fingerprints first used in the U.S. for Civil Service in NY
1903: NY State Prison System for Criminals, followed by Feds
1905: U.S. Army followed by the U.S. Navy
1924: FBI fingerprint division
1946: FBI had 100 million cards
2004: 46 million computerized records for known criminals

9. Scientific Facts
1. They stay the same from fetal stage to sometime after death
2. No 2 sets of fingerprints are alike, not even in identical twins

10. Primary value in forensic science is to identify a person
Solving crimes by ID of victim or perpetrator
ID of persons for legal purposes (passports and licenses)
Access to secure areas

11. Other areas with print patterns
Inside of fingers
Inside of hands
Bottom of feet and toes

12. Two Types 1. A positive print from stamping process
2. A negative print from surface substance removal
All fingerprints have friction ridges (the lines) to prevents slipping when grasping

13. Three Forms 1. Visable: glass, leave a residue of fat, oil, or blood
2. Impression: copper of silver; a chemical acid imprint
3. Latent: invisible; requires a chemical reaction to visualize (cyanoacrylate fuming method) mixes with organic (amino and lactic acid) and inorganic (Na and K)

14. Three Basic Shapes
Arch
Loop
Whorl
*See handout*

15. Key Identity Markers Typica (aka unique lines): *See handout* Endings
Splitting lines/bifurcations
*See handout*

16. Legal Identifying Markers “Points”
There are at least 150 individual ridge characteristics on the average fingerprint
If between 10 and 16 specific points of reference for any two corresponding fingerprints identically compare, a match is assumed
In a judicial proceeding, 12 corresponding points must match to identify a specific person

17. Forensic Anthropology
The application of the science of physical anthropology to the identification of skeletal, badly decomposed, or otherwise unidentified human remains.
Apply standard scientific techniques developed in physical anthropology to identify human remains, and to assist in the detection of crime.

18. Forensic Anthropology
Skeletal anatomy
206 bones
Males have 12 pounds of bone on average
Females have 10 pounds on average
What bones show
How a person lived
Debilitation illnesses (rickets, polio, healed fractures)
Right-handed or left-handed
Clues to occupation

19. Continued… Questions about skeletal remains
Age of a person at time of death
Sex of person based on skull and pelvis
Race
Height

20. Group activity In groups of 3 or 4 discuss how a skeletal can show:
1. How a person lived
2. Illness a person may have had (fractures, polio, etc)
3. If the person was right or left handed
4. What the person’s occupation may have been
When done, we will discuss as a group