Identification: commingled skeletal remains: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Identification: commingled skeletal remains

Sample item

A pit contains commingled skeletal remains with three left femurs, two right femurs and many vertebrae. What is the minimum number of individuals represented?

ANone can be stated until DNA typing is doneBThree, taken from the most frequently repeated boneCFive, counting each femur as a different individualDTwo, taken from the right femurs

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Three, taken from the most frequently repeated bone

The minimum number of individuals is obtained by counting the most commonly represented bone of one side, here three left femurs. Matching of size, age and sex can raise the estimate, and DNA is used for individualisation, not for this basic count.

Option by option

A. None can be stated until DNA typing is done
A minimum count is possible by osteological inspection without DNA.
B. Three, taken from the most frequently repeated bone (correct)
Correct. Three left femurs cannot come from fewer than three persons.
C. Five, counting each femur as a different individual
Counting both sides adds bones of possibly the same individuals.
D. Two, taken from the right femurs
Two right femurs would underestimate, since three left femurs are present.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Three, taken from the most frequently repeated bone. The minimum number of individuals is obtained by counting the most commonly represented bone of one side, here three left femurs.

Why is "None can be stated until DNA typing is done" not the answer?

A minimum count is possible by osteological inspection without DNA.

Why is "Five, counting each femur as a different individual" not the answer?

Counting both sides adds bones of possibly the same individuals.

Why is "Two, taken from the right femurs" not the answer?

Two right femurs would underestimate, since three left femurs are present.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Identification: commingled skeletal remains in Forensic Medicine. Matching of size, age and sex can raise the estimate, and DNA is used for individualisation, not for this basic count.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Identification: commingled skeletal remains?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.