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Uncovering Forensic Taphonomic Agents: Animal Scavenging in the European Context
| Content Provider | MDPI |
|---|---|
| Author | Sandra, Lösch Indra, Lara Errickson, David Young, Alexandria |
| Copyright Year | 2022 |
| Description | Animal scavenging by vertebrates can significantly alter human bodies and their deposition site. For instance, vertebrate animals can cause postmortem modification to a body, alter perimortem trauma, influence decomposition rates, disarticulate and scatter body parts or evidence, and affect the identification of the deceased. Animal scavenging is a relatively common occurrence in forensic investigations. Even so, studies on the subject are scattered and rare, with most focussing on geographical areas outside of Europe. For that reason, we intend to collate the literature to provide an account of forensically relevant vertebrate scavengers in Europe, their impacts on human remains, and their implications for forensic investigations. Here, we provide an overview of forensic aspects where the knowledge of animal scavenging is crucial, as well as an account of potential scavengers of human remains in Europe and their typical alterations to soft tissue and, in particular, to bones. In addition, we are the first to provide a guide for forensic practitioners to identify the presence of vertebrate scavenging and subsequently inform outdoor search strategies for affected human remains. |
| Starting Page | 601 |
| e-ISSN | 20797737 |
| DOI | 10.3390/biology11040601 |
| Journal | Biology |
| Issue Number | 4 |
| Volume Number | 11 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Publisher Date | 2022-04-15 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Biology Legal Medicine Forensic Anthropology Scavenging Taphonomy Bone Lesions Tooth Marks |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
