Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
---|---|---|---|
2501230 Biomedical Sciences | OT | 4 | 0 |
There are no official prerequisites, but it is assumed that the student has previously acquired enough solid knowledge on subjects like Genetics and Human biology
The course of forensic anthropology is designed to provide students with the basic tools to manage biological information about people identification. It is based on the application of knowledge of physical anthropology and human biology to medical and legal aspects, basically identification. We work at morphological, osteological, biochemical and molecular level. The work identifying both individual and collective lives of individuals, as the recent and ancient corpses. The emphasis in both forensic application, as in the reconstruction of ancient populations.
In this regard the course aims to:
- Understanding human variability as a source of individualization
- To know the morphological variability of characters distinctive of human groups
- To understand and interpret biochemical and molecular variability
- To analyze the biological basis of human diversity by different identification techniques
- To understand the taphonomical effects to interpret forensic situations
- To know the statistical basis of identifications
Legal framework of forensic anthropological studies
- Identification of living people and recent corpses
- Biochemistry of death
- Forensic entomology and botany
- Conservation
- Field anthropology
- Identification from human remains
- Forensic anthropology in major catastrophes
- Biochemical and molecular applications in identification and determination of paternity
*Unless the requirements enforced by the health authorities demand a prioritization or reduction of these contents.
The nucleus of the learning process is the work of the student. The student learns working, being the mission of the teaching staff to help him/her in this task by providing information or showing them the sources where they can achieve the most recent an efficient informations. In line with these ideas, and in accordance with the objectives of the subject, the development of the course is based on the following activities:
Theory classes: The student acquires the scientific and technical knowledge of the course, attending the theoretical classes and complementing them with the personal study of the topics explained. The theory classes are conceived as a method of transmitting the teacher's knowledge to the student. However, in this subject, an important part of the discussion of topics will be proposed or subjects developed using a methodology of Problem-based learning. Whenever possible, students will work in small groups. With sufficient anticipation, the student will be given the topics to debate and discuss discussion on the virtual forums. The audiovisual material used in classwill be provided by the teacher through a virtual tool.
Seminars: seminars will focus on specific topics of theory. The students will work in small groups allowing them to acquire the ability to work in group and of analysis and synthesis.
Practices: The topics related to osteology and diagnoses will be mainly taught in theoretical-practical classes with small groups of students in the laboratory. They are designed to learn osteopathy and its variability, and are complemented by theoretical information. Students will have a detailed work manual. In order to achieve good performance and acquire the corresponding competencies, a comprehensive reading of the proposed practice is essential before its completion. The follow-up of the practical class will also involve the individual collectionof the results in a dossier of activities. To be able to attend the practical classes it is necessary for the student to justify having passed the biosafety and security tests that he will find in the Virtual Campus and be knowledgeable and accept the rules of operation of the laboratories of the Faculty of Biosciences.
*The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.
Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Type: Directed | |||
Laboratory practices | 9 | 0.36 | 2, 3, 13, 12 |
Lectures | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 3, 12 |
Seminars | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 13 |
Type: Supervised | |||
Preparation of seminars | 8 | 0.32 | 2, 13 |
Tutorials | 2 | 0.08 | |
Type: Autonomous | |||
Group seminars | 14 | 0.56 | 2, 3, 13, 12 |
Individual study | 25 | 1 | 2, 3, 12 |
Assessment is continuous and all assessment activities are OBLIGATORY
*Student’s assessment may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.
Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Class attendance and participation in in-class and virtual debates | 5% | 0 | 0 | 1, 11, 10, 2, 3, 4, 9, 8, 7, 5, 6, 13 |
Exam | 50% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 9, 8, 7, 5, 6, 12 |
Laboratory work | 25% | 0 | 0 | 1, 11, 10, 2, 3, 4, 9, 8, 7, 5, 6, 13, 12 |
Written ppt and Oral presentation (15 minutes) of a subject related to the program of the course | 20% | 0 | 0 | 1, 10, 2, 3, 4, 13, 12 |
Basic literature:
WHITE T, BLACK MT & FOLKENS PA. Human Osteology.- Academic Press (diverses edicions)
TERSIGNI-TARRANT MT. 2012. Forensic Antrhopology: an Introducción. CRC Press
HAGLUND SD & SORG MH. (1997) Forensic Taphonomy: the postmortem fate of Human Remains. CRC Press
JOBLING, M.A. i HURLES, M.E. (2004). Human Evolutionary Genetics – origin, peoples & disease. Garland Science. Cap. 15
WEINER MP, GABRIEL SB & STEPHENS JC. (2007) - Genetic variation. A laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor. Cap.34
Specific literature
It will be given during the course.