Specific Patterns of Canine Scavenging in Indoor Settings |
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| Authors: | Thomas Colard Ph.D. Yann Delannoy M.D. Stephan Naji Ph.D. Didier Gosset M.D. Kristen Hartnett Ph.D. Anne Bécart D.D.S. |
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| Affiliation: | 1. University of Lille, F‐59000 Lille, France;2. Forensic Taphonomy Unit, Anthropology Department, F‐59000 Lille, France;3. Additional information and reprint requests:;4. Thomas Colard, Ph.D., D.D.S.;5. Lille Forensic Medicine Institute;6. Rue Andre Verhaeghe;7. 59000 Lille;8. E‐mail:;9. UMR 5199, PACEA, Université de Bordeaux 1, F‐33000 Bordeaux, France;10. Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, NY, 10016 |
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| Abstract: | Postmortem animal mutilations due to domestic dogs in isolated domestic deaths are taphonomic modifications regularly observed by forensic pathologists. They are rarely described in the literature; however, even though they present specific patterns. Through 41 cases, 10 at the forensic institute in Lille (France) and 31 at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (USA), plus 22 cases from the literature, specific locations and patterns of postmortem scavenging lesions are proposed. These lesions are mainly distributed in three locations: the face, especially the nose and the mouth (73.1%), the neck (43.1%), and the arm (shoulder/upper limb [29.2%], hand [26.8%]). We discuss the time span between death and scavenging, the consequences on identification, and comparison with outdoor settings. Outdoor scavenging lesions are mainly located on the trunk and limbs usually sparing the head, which strongly differs from indoor distribution and imply different animal motivations. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science forensic taphonomy scavenging canids indoor setting postmortem interval |
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