Manual of Forensic Taphonomy

Description

Forensic taphonomy is the study of the postmortem changes to human remains, focusing largely on environmental effects—including decomposition in soil and water and interaction with plants, insects, and other animals. While other books have focused on subsets such as forensic botany and entomology, Manual of Forensic Taphonomy is the first update of the entire domain in more than ten years and the first book to consider distinguishing among multiple types of taphonomic changes.
Edited by two of the most distinguished experts in the field, this volume examines taphonomic alterations to bone and related taphonomic processes common to cases of forensic interest. Specific chapters address a range of issues related to:

· Varying burial environments
· Animal scavenging and transport
· Fluvial and human transport
· Cultural modifications
· Marine environments
· Subaerial weathering
· Thermal alteration
· Recovery methods used in collecting the remains

The book discusses inherent variations in survivability of different bones, degradation of DNA in different environments, and organisms involved in soft-tissue decomposition which result in skeletonization. It also describes microscopic alterations, color changes, macroscopic physical damage of multiple types, and bone loss through dispersal away from the location of initial body deposition. The authors present methods that can be employed to determine the timing of taphonomic damage (perimortem vs. postmortem) as well as checklists for the collection of microscopic and macroscopic taphonomic data.

The ability to recognize taphonomic characteristics and discriminate between osseous alterations with similar appearances but dissimilar origins is essential to those engaged in the analysis of skeletal remains. This volume is an ideal guide for students and non-specialists as well as a reference manual for professionals.

Contents

Introduction: Collection of Macroscopic Osseous Taphonomic Data and the Recognition of Taphonomic Suites of Characteristics; James T. Pokines
Microscopic Destruction of Bone; Miranda M.E. Jans
Human Decomposition Ecology and Postmortem Microbiology; Franklin E. Damann and David O. Carter
Bone Density and Bone Attrition; R. Lee Lyman
Effects of Burial Environment on Osseous Remains; James T. Pokines and Joan E. Baker
Fluvial Taphonomy; Thomas Evans
Marine Environmental Alterations to Bone; Nicholas D. Higgs and James T. Pokines
Contemporary Cultural Alterations to Bone; Josephine M. Paolello and Alexandra R. Klales
Faunal Dispersal, Reconcentration, and Gnawing Damage to Bone in Terrestrial Environments;James T. Pokines
Deposition and Dispersal of Human Remains as a Result of Criminal Acts: Homo sapiens sapiens as a Taphonomic Agent; Derek Congram
Subaerial Weathering; Christine A. Junod and James T. Pokines
Taphonomic Bone Staining and Color Changes in Forensic Contexts; Tosha L. Dupras and John J. Schultz
Taphonomy and the Timing of Bone Fractures in Trauma Analysis; Steven A. Symes, Ericka N. L’Abbé, Kyra E. Stull, Marcelle LaCroix, and James T. Pokines
Thermal Alteration to Bone; Steven A. Symes, Ericka N. L’Abbé, James T. Pokines, Taylor Yuzwa, Diana Messer, Amy Stromquist, and Natalie Keough
DNA Survivability in Skeletal Remains; Krista E. Latham and Megan E. Madonna
Avian Taphonomy; James T. Pokines and Stephanie E. Baker
Effects of Recovery Methods; James T. Pokines and Joan E. Baker
Appendix A: Macroscopic Osseous Taphonomy Checklist; James T. Pokines
Appendix B: Microscopic Osseous Taphonomy Checklist; Miranda M.E. Jans
Index