What does a forensic entomologist study?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Start by clearly noting the question and all answer choices to frame the topic being tested.
Question: What does a forensic entomologist study?
Options:
a. plants surrounding the body to estimate how many seasons the body has been outside
b. chemical analysis of body tissues for drugs, poison, etc.
c. human hair to estimate hair color and texture
d. insect types and activity to estimate time since the death

Now, evaluate each option one by one.
Option a: Plants surrounding the body to estimate how many seasons the body has been outside. This describes environmental or botany observations rather than forensic entomology. Forensic entomology focuses on insects, not plant analysis, so this choice misattributes the field.

Option b: Chemical analysis of body tissues for drugs, poison, etc. While toxicology is often involved in death investigations, it is a separate discipline from forensic entomology. The phrase specifically points to chemical analysis in tissues, which is not the primary concern of entomology.

Option c: Human hair to estimate hair color and texture. Hair analysis is typically associated with forensic anthropology or biology, not entomology. Again, this misaligns with the insect-focused study area of forensic entomology.

Option d: Insect types and activity to estimate time since the death. This precisely matches the core role of forensic entomology: studying which insects are present on a corpse and their developmental stages to infer the postmortem interval, i.e., time since death. The logic relies on predictable insect life cycles and colonization patterns.

Additionally, consider why the other options are inaccurate in framing the field: each of a, b, and c describe other forensic specialties (botany/environmental context, toxicology, and forensic anthropology/trace analysis of hair, respectively) rather than entomology. Therefore, they do not reflect what a forensic entomologist studies.

In summary, option d accurately captures the purpose of forensic entomology, focusing on insect evidence to estimate the time since death, while the other options describe related but distinct disciplines or erroneous scopes.

ANTH 246 OL2 SP25 Week 1 Lecture

What does a forensic entomologist study?

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