Stock Michala K, Winburn Allysha P, Burgess George H
C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Room G17, Gainesville, FL, 32610.
Department of Applied Forensic Sciences, Mercyhurst University, 501 East 38th Street, Erie, PA, 16546.
J Forensic Sci. 2017 Nov;62(6):1647-1654. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13470. Epub 2017 May 2.
This research examines a series of six Florida forensic anthropology cases that exhibit taphonomic evidence of marine deposition and shark-feeding activities. In each case, we analyzed patterns of trauma/damage on the skeletal remains (e.g., sharp-force bone gouges and punctures) and possible mechanisms by which they were inflicted during shark predation/scavenging. In some cases, shark teeth were embedded in the remains; in the absence of this evidence, we measured interdental distance from defects in the bone to estimate shark body length, as well as to draw inferences about the potential species responsible. We discuss similarities and differences among the cases and make comparisons to literature documenting diagnostic shark-inflicted damage to human remains from nearby regions. We find that the majority of cases potentially involve bull or tiger sharks scavenging the remains of previously deceased, adult male individuals. This scavenging results in a distinctive taphonomic signature including incised gouges in cortical bone.
本研究考察了佛罗里达州的一系列六起法医人类学案例，这些案例呈现出海洋沉积和鲨鱼觅食活动的埋藏学证据。在每个案例中，我们分析了骨骼遗骸上的创伤/损伤模式（例如，锐器造成的骨沟和穿刺）以及在鲨鱼捕食/ scavenging过程中造成这些损伤的可能机制。在某些案例中，鲨鱼牙齿嵌入了遗骸中；在没有这一证据的情况下，我们通过测量骨骼缺损处的齿间距离来估计鲨鱼体长，并推断可能造成这些损伤的鲨鱼种类。我们讨论了这些案例之间异同，并与记录附近地区鲨鱼对人类遗骸造成的诊断性损伤的文献进行了比较。我们发现，大多数案例可能涉及公牛鲨或虎鲨 scavenging先前死亡的成年男性个体的遗骸。这种 scavenging导致了一种独特的埋藏学特征，包括皮质骨上的切割沟。
