Forensic Taphonomy

Recommended Prerequisites

Human Osteology.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical and practical classes with human skeletal remains in various states of preservation and non-human  bones.

Learning Outcomes

The student must learn to distinguish between human bones and non-human bones, to identify fragmented human bones, and calculate the minimum number of individuals. The student must learn to understand and interpret the taphonomic changes in human remains and estimate the time since death.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Basics of taphonomy and taphonomic models. The cadaveric decomposition and the bone degradation. Taphonomic agents. Postmortem interval and other applications of taphonomy to forensic contexts. Identification of the species.  Estimation of the minimum number of individuals.

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria Teresa dos Santos Ferreira

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Bibliography

Adams, Crabtree, Santucci 2008 Comparative skeletal anatomy. Totowa; Humana Press.

Haglund, Sorg (eds) 1997 Forensic Taphonomy, the postmortem fate of human remains. Boca Raton; CRC Press.

Byrd, Adams 2016 Analysis of commingled human remains. In Blau, Ubelaker (eds) Handbook of

Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology (2ed). New York; Routledge:226-242.

Ferreira 2012 Para lá da morte: Estudo tafonómico da decomposição cadavérica e da degradação óssea e

implicações na estimativa do intervalo pós-morte. Tese Doutoramento em Antropologia Forense, FCTUC. Coimbra.

Forbes, Nugent 2016 Dating of Anthropological Skeletal Remains of Forensic Interest. In Blau, Ubelaker (eds) Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology (2 ed). New York; Routledge:213-225.

Pokines, Symes (eds) 2014. Manual of Forensic Taphonomy. Boca Raton. CRC Press.

Thompson, Ulguim 2016 Burned human remains. In Blau, Ubelaker (eds) Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology (2ed). New York; Routledge:391-401.