White‐tailed Deer as a Taphonomic Agent: Photographic Evidence of White‐tailed Deer Gnawing on Human Bone

Meckel, Lauren A.; McDaneld, Chloe P.; Wescott, Daniel J.

doi:10.1111/1556-4029.13514

Cited by 21 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…We did not observe cervids contacting carrion, yet foraging in the vicinity also poses a risk because prions can be dispersed and infectious for ≥2 years (Miller et al 2004). For instance, cervids sometimes gnaw on bones (Sutcliffe 1973, Gambín et al 2017, Meckel et al 2018) and the decomposition of carrion adds nutrients to the soil, causing a subsequent flush of high‐quality forage that may lure herbivores (Towne 2000). The abundance of cervids at kill sites highlights the risks of improper carcass disposal or transporting carcasses from areas of high disease prevalence (Osterholm et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The scavenger spyglass: how recruiting hunters to watch carrion boosts wildlife research

McTee¹,

Stone²

2022

J Wildl Manag

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Hunters support scavengers with seasonal pulses of carrion. If those hunters also deploy remote cameras at kill sites, they could simultaneously contribute data to wildlife research while gaining first-hand knowledge of scavenger ecology. In 2018-2020, we recruited hunters to monitor carcasses and offal with remote cameras across western Montana, USA. We increased our sampling effort by also setting up cameras following successful elk (Cervus canadensis) hunts at a private ranch. Cameras recorded 19 scavenger species. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) appeared at 55% of sites, and 3 individuals wore auxiliary markers, demonstrating how hunters can augment efforts to detect tagged wildlife. Cameras also documented elusive predators (e.g., wolves [Canis lupus]) and a seasonality of scavenging among American black bears (Ursus americanus). At 42% of the sites, ≥1 cervid investigated the carrion within 1 m, a behavior that may transmit the prions associated with chronic wasting disease. Hunters are willing and competent citizen scientists that can help generate wildlife observations at a broad spatial scale.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The scavenger spyglass: how recruiting hunters to watch carrion boosts wildlife research

McTee¹,

Stone²

2022

J Wildl Manag

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“…Given that the inter-species transmission of Sarcoptes mites arises through both direct or indirect contact [8], there are two likely explanations for the transmission from Caniformia populations to the serow populations: (i) the direct transmission upon touching the carcasses of mangy animals; and (ii) indirect transmission through the sharing of habitat intensively used by both mammal populations. For the direct contact, the probable reason is the exploring or foraging behavior for dead animals sometimes observed in ruminant species such as cattle [50] and deer [51]. There is no observation, but likelihood that serows behave similar to dead or debilitated mangy Caniformia animals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible transmission of Sarcoptes scabiei between herbivorous Japanese serows and omnivorous Caniformia in Japan: a cryptic transmission and persistence?

et al. 2019

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Background Two transmission patterns of Sarcoptes scabiei in host mammal communities have been reported based on microsatellite-level genetic studies in the last two decades. While one involves restrictions among different host taxa, the other is associated with predator–prey interactions between different host taxa. In contrast to these observations, the present study reports a possible irregular case of transmission of S. scabiei between herbivorous Japanese serow and omnivorous Caniformia mammals in Japan, though under very weak predator–prey relationships. Methods DNA from 93 Sarcoptes mites isolated from omnivorous Caniformia (such as the domestic dog, raccoon dog, raccoon and Japanese marten), omnivorous Cetartiodactyla (wild boar) and herbivorous Cetartiodactyla (Japanese serow) in Japan were analyzed by amplifying nine microsatellite markers. Principal components analyses (PCA), Bayesian clustering analyses using STRUCTURE software, and phylogenetic analyses by constructing a NeighborNet network were applied to determine the genetic relationships among mites associated with host populations. Results In all the analyses, the genetic differentiation of Sarcoptes mites from wild boars and Japanese serows was observed. Conversely, considerably close genetic relationships were detected between Caniformia-derived and Japanese serow-derived mites. Because the predator–prey interactions between the omnivorous Caniformia and herbivorous Japanese serow are quite limited and epidemiological history shows at least a 10-year lag between the emergence of sarcoptic mange in Japanese serow and that in Caniformia, the transmission of S. scabiei from Caniformia to Japanese serow is highly suspected. Conclusions The close genetic relationships among mites beyond Host–taxon relationships and without obvious predator–prey interactions in Caniformia and Japanese serow deviate from previously reported S. scabiei transmission patterns. This type of cryptic relationship of S. scabiei populations may exist in local mammalian communities worldwide and become a risk factor for the conservation of the remnant and fragmented populations of wild mammals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3630-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…Studies on invertebrate scavengers (insects) have been performed globally, including in Canada [13,[27][28][29], but only recently in the province of Quebec [17]. While the global literature reports the scavenging activity of mammalian species (e.g., coyote, domestic dog, bear, raccoon, rodents) [2,8,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37], as well as avian species (e.g., vultures, crows, and other bird species) [4][5][6]24,38], only a limited number of these published studies have been carried out in Canada [23,39], and to date, none in the province of Quebec.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The taphonomic impact of scavenger guilds in southern Quebec during summer and fall in two distinct habitats

Séguin

Durand-Guévin

Lavallée

et al. 2021

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Decomposition of human remains is a complex process impacted by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. A less-studied extrinsic factor in forensic taphonomy are the scavengers that consume soft and hard tissue. Scavengers physically degrade and remove soft tissue, disperse, and destroy skeletal elements, which can make locating remains challenging. While invertebrate activity has been largely investigated, there is limited quantitative data available on vertebrate activity, particularly in Canada. This study aimed to determine which species (vertebrate and invertebrate) belong to the scavenger guilds in southern Quebec, and their potential taphonomic impact on the decomposition process. Two independent trials were conducted in 2020 using pig carcasses: one during summer in a forest habitat and one during fall in a grassland habitat. Each carcass was placed a minimum 100 m apart in semi-rural land. Vertebrate scavenger activity was recorded by continuous surveillance using trail cameras. Carcasses were also regularly visited to monitor the decomposition process and the activity of invertebrate scavengers. Overall, the vertebrate scavenger guilds included a narrow range of corvids, turkey vultures, coyotes, and skunks. The intensity of vertebrate scavengers was greater in the grassland habitat (fall), while the intensity of invertebrate scavengers was greater in the forest habitat (summer). With the exception of invertebrate scavengers, very few species visited during the fresh stage of decomposition, and the probability of body displacement increased as decomposition progressed. These results identify which scavengers have the greatest taphonomic impact and highlight the importance of incorporating scavenger impact when searching for human remains.

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White‐tailed Deer as a Taphonomic Agent: Photographic Evidence of White‐tailed Deer Gnawing on Human Bone

Cited by 21 publications

References 18 publications

The scavenger spyglass: how recruiting hunters to watch carrion boosts wildlife research

The scavenger spyglass: how recruiting hunters to watch carrion boosts wildlife research

Possible transmission of Sarcoptes scabiei between herbivorous Japanese serows and omnivorous Caniformia in Japan: a cryptic transmission and persistence?

The taphonomic impact of scavenger guilds in southern Quebec during summer and fall in two distinct habitats

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