Forensic Taphonomy
Marco Bertolini
From MOOC FORENSIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY - Durham University - Teesside University - Future Learn
Animal activity
Burrowing animals
difficult to assess
if the burial is
ancient
modern
can displace bones
from the grave
Indoor pets
Dogs & Cats
can eat viscera
which can mask the cause of death
can eat through
ribcage
clavicles
ignore clothed areas
focus on soft tissues
head
face
patterns slightly different
wild animals
Birds
patterns
stringy
fluffy
eyes
can be mistaken for
ritual
sadistic murder
scavenge human remains
etc.
vultures
crows
Rodents
gnaw bones
leave parallel flat-bottomed grooves (striae) from their central incisors
remove soft tissues
can mimic
defense wounds
entrance wounds
Insects
The destruction of the body by insects
see the Website
Forensic Entomology
good indicator of
Post Mortem Interval
Most damage through
little beetles
maggots
flies
remove the soft tissues causing massive tissue loss
Underwater animals
Sometimes damage from fish can be mistaken for peri-mortem trauma
sharks traces look like plane crash injuries
see report
Dr Agathe Ribereau-Gayon
can cause intense damage to immersed bodies
Canines
Transport bones
at distance
depending
surrounding environment
size of the animal
leave distinctive marks on bones
furrows
scores
pits
punctures
tend to focus on the soft tissue
Consistant order
Sections of the body attacked
Second
disarticulation of limbs
vertebral column
the last part remaining
forelimbs
First
Throat
Buttocks
Chest
Abdomen
Scavenging
Lots of variables
Location of the body
environment
aquatic
urban
rural
outdoor
inside
Temperature
Time of the season
time of the day
one of the most destructive post-mortem processes
