Forensic Taphonomy and Ecology of North American Scavengers

The actions of vertebrate scavenger can significantly impact the medicolegal investigation of human remains. Scavenging behavior can displace remains from their depositional context, confound postmortem interval estimations, destroy osteological markers, and inflict damage that mimics or disguises perimortem trauma. Forensic Taphonomy and Ecology of North American Scavengers compiles research on vertebrate scavenging behavior from numerous academic fields, including ecology and forensic anthropology, for use by both students and medicolegal professionals. This text may serve as a field manual for the identification or exclusion of common scavenging species known to modify human remains, and proposes investigative strategies to improve recovery efficiency and the accuracy of forensic reconstructions in cases affected by vertebrate scavenging. Examines scavenging behavior through an evolutionary and ecological lens, integrating research from diverse fields to argue for a case-by-case analysis of scavenging evidenceIncludes brief summaries of the taphonomic signatures of common or well-studied North American scavenging taxa, designed to provide quick reference in the fieldProposes strategies to maximize the recovery of vertebrate-scavenged human remains and improve forensic reconstructions of peri- and postmortem events INDICE: 1. An Interdisciplinary Approach: Ecology Meets Forensics2. There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: The Evolution of Scavenging3. Unwitting Accomplices: Scavengers and Forensic Investigation4. The Usual Suspects: Strategies for Scavenger Identification5. Making of the Maker's Mark: Morphology, Physiology, and Behavior6. The Maker's Mark: Taphonomic Signatures of Common North American Scavengers7. Off the Mark: Ecological Influences on Scavenging Behavior8. Adapting Your Investigation of Vertebrate-Scavenged Remains

• ISBN: 978-0-12-813243-2
• Editorial: Academic Press
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Páginas: 150
• Fecha Publicación: 01/11/2017
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés