The Small Scavenger Guild of Massachusetts

Pokines, James T.; Pollock, Corey

doi:10.5744/fa.2018.0005

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…In addition, we observed our black rat snake carcass to be scavenged within a short period (6 days), as other studies have found snakes to be scavenged within 36 hours (Antworth et al, 2005). We detected several species of passerine birds and rodents, which other studies have documented to scavenge remains (Pokines & Pollock, 2018). Other studies on pig, Sus scrofa carcasses have observed high visitations by rodents as well as birds in the family Corvidae (Komar & Beattie, 1998).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA

Unger¹,

Hull²,

Rollins³

2019

Biodiversity Journal

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA

Unger¹,

Hull²,

Rollins³

2019

Biodiversity Journal

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“…Future research also will be expanded into mainland coastal areas after the effects of gulls have been examined in their near isolation afforded by offshore breeding colonies. Mainland locations in this region will present a higher diversity of scavengers, avian and mammalian [6], but will also present a more typical environment for human remains in forensic scenes. Regional (and different species of gull) effects are also likely to present variation in scavenging and dispersal behavior, and other researchers are encouraged to expand examination of gull and other coastal bird taphonomy in their areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary study of gull (Laridae) scavenging and dispersal of vertebrate remains, Shoals Marine Laboratory, Coastal New England

Pokines

2022

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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The taphonomic effects of avian taxa upon forensic scenes has been little researched, and shore species including gulls (Laridae) have received even less attention, despite their well-known behavior as scavengers of human food waste. In order to begin assessing their potential impact, a pilot study was undertaken on Appledore Island, Maine, USA, at the Shoals Marine Laboratory. This location was chosen for its isolation from most other vertebrate scavengers and its large, seasonal breeding colonies of gulls, primarily great black-backed (Larus marinus) and herring (L. argentatus) gulls.Two locations with fresh bones were monitored for scavenging activity, using trail cameras and Tile Mate® tracking chips. In addition, portions of the breeding colonies nesting areas along the rocky coast were surveyed for bones that must have derived at some distance from human-generated trash sources. All (n = 16) fresh bones underwent dispersal by gulls, with an average distance of 10 m and a maximum distance (in one case) of 85 m. Multiple bones from trash sources were transported a minimum of 150 m if locally acquired and a minimum of 10 km if acquired from the mainland. These bones had a maximum length of 192 mm and mass of 46.0 g. Gulls, with their global distribution, have the potential to be significant dispersers of human skeletal remains and should undergo additional taphonomic research.

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“…However, recent research is suggesting that natural scavenging by a variety of animals is considerably underappreciated as an occurrence in decomposition scenarios and is a significant factor accelerating the rates of carrion decomposition [26,[53][54][55][56][57][58]. As such, the question needs to be asked whether decomposition experiments that use exclusion cages do, in fact, relate to natural decomposition found in forensic cases that are subject to scavenging activity.…”

Section: Forensic Realismmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of experimental design in forensic taphonomy: moving towards forensic realism

Miles

Finaughty

Gibbon

2020

Forensic Sciences Research

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Forensic taphonomy as a discipline requires standardization to satisfy Daubert criteria for scientific data to be admissible in court. In response, there has been a shift towards quantification of methodology and estimating the post-mortem interval. Despite these advances, there are still biases and limitations within the discipline not explicitly addressed in the early stages of experimental design nor in final published works. In this article, unresolved debates with respect to the conductance and reporting of forensic taphonomic research are reviewed, beginning with the nature of experimental cadavers, human or animal analogues and their body size, and second, the forensic realism of experimental setups, specifically with respect to caging, clothing and number of carcases. Pigs, albeit imperfect, are a good model to gain a general idea of the trends that may be seen in humans in subsequent validation studies in facilities where human donors are available. To date, there is no consensus among taphonomists on the extent of the effect that body mass has on decomposition progression. More research is required with both human cadavers and non-human analogues that builds on our current knowledge of forensic taphonomy to answer these nagging questions. This will enable the discipline to make the reliable assumption that pigs and donor decomposition data can be applied to homicide cases. A suite of experimental design aspects is suggested to ensure systematic and standardized data collection across different biogeoclimatic circumstances to identify and quantify the effects of potential confounding variables. Such studies in multiple, varied biogeographic circumstances with standardized protocols, equipment and carrion will facilitate independent global validation of patterns. These factors are reviewed to show the need for adjustments in experimental design to ensure relevance and applicability of data within locally realistic forensic situations. The initiation of a global decomposition data network for forensic taphonomists is recommended. KEY POINTS Pigs are a valuable, albeit imperfect, proxy for human decomposition studies. There are few or conflicting data on effects of carcase size, carrion ecology, exclusion cages and scavengers. We recommend single, clothed, uncaged carcases for baseline research to reflect regionally specific forensic casework.

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The Small Scavenger Guild of Massachusetts

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA

Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA

Preliminary study of gull (Laridae) scavenging and dispersal of vertebrate remains, Shoals Marine Laboratory, Coastal New England

A review of experimental design in forensic taphonomy: moving towards forensic realism

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