In both Canada and the U.S. the coroner or medical examiner is responsible for the certification of cause, manner and mode of death. The mode of death refers to the method by which the individual's life is ended, e.g. shooting, strangling, etc. Cause of Death Accurate assessment of the cause of death is often not possible for the forensic anthropologist becasue some fatal injuries do not affect bone.
Blunt injuries can also occur when an individual falls against an object.
In cases of dismemberment, cut marks may be found near joints. Stab wounds - are caused by sharp points. A distinction should be made between penetrating wounds, which merely enter a structure and perforating wounds which pass all the way through. Stabbing injuries vary depending upon the characteristics of the instrument, e.g. shape of blade, single or double edges, length, sharpness, the manner of attack, e.g. struggling or immobile victim, strength of attackers, angle of attack, area of body involved, e.g. in hard tissue the wound is usually smaller than the size of the blade because bone will give way under stress and then return as much as possible to its original state. This depends very much on the bone characteristics e.g. thickness and density.