First forensic records of termite activity on non-fossilized human bones in Brazil

Queiroz, Rafael Alves Bonfim de; Soriano, Evelyne Pessoa; Carvalho, Marcus Vítor Diniz de; Caldas-Junior, A. F.; Souza, Elaine Helena Alvim de; Coelho-Junior, L. G. T. M.; Campello, Raphaela; Almeida, Ariádine Cristine; Farias, Rodrigo César Azevedo Pereira; Vasconcellos, Alexandre

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.11415

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Among these, 7 were case reports [13][14][15][16][17][18][19], 3 case series [6,20,21], 19 original articles [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40], 4 were technical notes [41][42][43][44] and 8 were reviews [1,10,[45][46][47][48][49][50].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, terrestrial invertebrates, which have an osteophagic behaviour, can colonise the burial place and influence the taphonomic processes [ 24 ] even in completely skeletonized bodies, with destruction of bones associated with different forms of star shaped features, clusters of microscopically visible sub-parallel striations, edge gnawing, pits, holes, nests, tunnels and etching of the bone surface [ 21 , 33 ]. Such holes can be misinterpreted as gunshot entrances.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crime scene and body alterations caused by arthropods: implications in death investigation

et al. 2018

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The activity of arthropods on corpses has been largely investigated, since they can produce information to reconstruct the perimortem events. However, the feeding/movement activity of insects around the crime scene, among the clothes and on the body, can also cause some alterations that can lead to wrong reconstruction and misinterpretations. This article summarises all the postmortem arthropods artefacts related to the scene (i.e. fly artefacts and floor stripes) and the body (i.e. skin and other soft tissue alterations, bone alterations and hair alterations) that can mislead the forensic pathologist, discussing macroscopic and microscopic findings derived from forensic casework and from experimental laboratory studies, in order to provide a useful instrument to avoid misinterpretations and evaluation errors. Finally, some procedural notes for the documentation and the interpretation of findings are proposed.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crime scene and body alterations caused by arthropods: implications in death investigation

et al. 2018

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“…Los isópteros de la familia Termitidae, endémicos de la región Neotropical del nordeste brasilero, son agentes potenciales de perturbación tafonómica postdeposicional en sitios arqueológicos y sus actividades pueden afectar a la interpretación de los procesos de formación del sitio. En particular, el comportamiento osteofágico y su consecuente destrucción ósea son importantes procesos tafonómicos que influyen en la interpretación de los contextos mortuorios, sobre todo, en el caso de entierros perturbados como el Entierro 3 de Toca do Enoque (Prestes et al, 2014;Queiroz et al, 2017;Watson y Abbey, 1986). Entender la acción simultánea y/o sucesiva de los agentes y procesos tafonómicos naturales y culturales que actuaron en la formación de los depósitos arqueológicos de tipo funerario es fundamental para interpretar correctamente las prácticas mortuorias del pasado y las perturbaciones postdeposicionales que potencialmente hayan sufrido desde el momento del depósito del cadáver hasta su descubrimiento en el presente.…”

Section: Conclusionesunclassified

“…A pesar de que el rol de los insectos necrófagos es bien conocido en las ciencias forenses, su participación como agentes tafonómicos de degradación ósea es menos conocida (Queiroz et al, 2017). Sin embargo, diferentes órdenes de artrópodos pueden ser responsables de una bioerosión significativa en huesos humanos y de fauna (Matthew, 2018).…”

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Las termitas como agentes aturales de alteraciones tafonómicas postdepositacionales en un esqueleto humano del sitio arqueológico Toca do Enoque (Piauí, Brasil)

et al. 2019

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Las termitas son insectos que aparecen muchas veces en contextos arqueológicos en Brasil y casi nunca son objeto de estudio como procesos naturales de formación de los depósitos y contextos arqueológicos. La probabilidad de que se encuentren marcas de estos insectos modificadores de carcasas de animales y humanos en sitios arqueológicos en Brasil y en Sudamérica hace pertinente su estudio. A partir de una aproximación teórica - metodológica que comprende la Icnoarqueología y la Arqueoentomología Funeraria, presentamos el caso de estudio de un esqueleto humano con señales de bioerosión debidas a la acción de termitas subterráneas en el sitio arqueológico Toca do Enoque (Piauí, nordeste de Brasil) del Holoceno Medio. Guiados por un protocolo de estudio actualístico, pudimos registrar que el patrón de daños observado en los huesos resultó ser consistente con el comportamiento osteofágico de ciertas especies de termitas endémicas de la región Neotropical (Familia: Termitidae). El análisis macroscópico muestra la importancia de reconocer a los isópteros subterráneos como agentes tafonómicos naturales que pueden actuar en la degradación postdeposicional de restos óseos humanos provenientes decontextos funerarios arqueológicos.

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“…Sometimes termites are used in criminal investigations. Such an example given in the article of Queiroz et al (2017).…”

Section: Use Of Termites In Scientific Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic and ecological importance of termites: A global review

Govorushko

2018

Entomological Science

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In this review article, the positive and negative impacts of termites on ecosystems and human activities are examined. Various ecosystem services provided by termites – their importance as a food resource for humans, wildlife and domestic animals – are discussed, along with the use of these insects in scientific research and in folk and traditional medicine. Some insufficiently studied properties of termites (their ability to perceive the radiation of radioactive substances, electric fields and magnetic fields), as well as the use of termites in bionics, are described. Special attention is paid to the use of termite mounds for different purposes (e.g. in mineral deposit searches, in medical applications, as furnaces for copper smelting, for storage of some nuts, as burial sites, for gathering of edible mushrooms of the genus Termitomyces and as fertilizer). Examples of such use in different countries are given. This article reviews the activities of termites as pests of agriculture and forestry, including crops that are most affected, and termites as structural pests (e.g. wooden structures, household furniture, books and museum collections). Examples of termites’ malicious activities in different parts of the world are provided. Information on the invasions of termites is given, and the main areas of expansion of their habitat are described. The economic loss caused by termites in some countries and the world as a whole are presented. The article also lists the most economically important termite species in the world.

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First forensic records of termite activity on non-fossilized human bones in Brazil

Cited by 15 publications

References 9 publications

Crime scene and body alterations caused by arthropods: implications in death investigation

Crime scene and body alterations caused by arthropods: implications in death investigation

Las termitas como agentes aturales de alteraciones tafonómicas postdepositacionales en un esqueleto humano del sitio arqueológico Toca do Enoque (Piauí, Brasil)

Economic and ecological importance of termites: A global review

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