Taphonomic bone trauma caused by Southern African scavengers

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Taphonomy
• Zooarchaeology

Background:

• Animal scavenging is a common post-mortem process affecting human skeletal remains.
• Scavenger-induced modifications can be misidentified as human-inflicted trauma in forensic investigations.
• Understanding scavenger behavior is crucial for accurate interpretation of skeletal evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document and describe skeletal trauma patterns caused by Southern African scavengers.
• To differentiate scavenger modifications from actual skeletal trauma.
• To assess the potential for identifying specific scavenger species based on bone damage.

Main Methods:

• Bovine limb bones and ribs were exposed to known Southern African scavenger species (lion, leopard, hyena, wild dog, jackal, caracal, porcupine) at a zoological facility.
• Specimens were collected after 48 hours for analysis of bone modifications.
• Damage patterns were systematically described and compared across different animal types.

Main Results:

• Felids (lion, leopard, caracal) produced deep furrows and removed bone from the humerus.
• Spotted hyenas caused extensive damage, leaving jagged fractures on the tibia.
• Porcupines created distinctive fan-like scores and polished depressions.
• Wild dogs and black-backed jackals did not produce identifiable patterns.
• Light scavenging trauma was distinct but not species-identifiable; heavy trauma indicated general animal type but not specific taxa.

Conclusions:

• Skeletal modifications by Southern African scavengers present distinct patterns.
• Heavy scavenging trauma can help identify the general type of animal involved.
• Distinguishing between light scavenging and human-inflicted trauma remains a challenge, and precise species identification is often not possible.