(cache)Postmortem Animal Activity Part 1

Postmortem Animal Activity Part 1

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Fig. A1 Left: Anterior surface of the victim in case 1, postmortem skeletization of face and neck due to gnawing by rats. Note the preference for the exposed areas. Right: Postmortem injuries caused by rats in case 1, crenated edges with fine serrated parallel cutaneous lacerations in the margins of the damaged skin. Note the undamaged skin beyond the wound margin. --- A 61-year-old man was found dead in an arbor lying fully dressed on the bed in a supine position. His head, neck and the collar region were totally skeletonized in such a manner that all soft tissue was absent exposing the cervical vertebrae, the two superior thoracic vertebrae and both clavicles with opening of the upper thoracic cavity (Fig. A1 left). The arbor was in a state of disorder with garbage everywhere, but bloodstains were absent at the scene. Small portions of dehydrated faeces, that were identified as rat excrement by the consulted veterinarian, were found beside the head of the deceased. According to the postmortem changes, death occurred 7–10 days previously. To verify suspected postmortem animal interference a forensic autopsy was carried out. Postmortem examination revealed multilobar bronchopneumonia with patchy consolidation and abscess formation in both lower lobes of the lungs. The larynx, thyroid gland, aortic arch and the upper third of the esophagus and trachea were missing. Apart from atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and a mild fatty liver no other macroscopic abnormalities of the internal organs were present. There was no evidence of blood aspiration or air embolism. Inspection of the damaged soft tissue margins revealed fine serrated edges with distinctive parallel cutaneous lacerations but absence of hemorrhage or reddening of the wound. The skin next to the wound margins was undamaged. Histological examination of the wound edges showed no vital reactions. Toxicological analysis found no traces of alcohol in the blood. According to the autopsy and histological findings, death was attributed to bilateral bronchopneumonia. Based on the morphological appearance and the finding of rat faeces at the scene, it was stated that the injuries were caused postmortem by rats. - - - ⚠️ 18+ / NSFW ❌ WARNING This post contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised. hermanshocker@gmail.com Reddit: u/hermantheshocker ❌ 18+ / NSFW ⚠️ - - -

Report A Indoor postmortem animal interference by carnivores and rodents: report of two cases and review of the literature. M. Tsokos · F. Schulz Received: 16 April 1998 / Received in revised form: 9 July 1998 Abstract: We present two cases of nearly total skeletization of the exposed face and neck due to indoor postmortem animal interference and a review of the literature. In the case of a 61-year-old man, inspection of the damaged soft tissue margins revealed serrated edges and parallel cutaneous lacerations caused by rats. In the case of a 40-year-old woman, postmortem examination revealed v-shaped and rhomboid-shaped tunneled wounds in the damaged soft tissue caused by a pit bull terrier. The autopsy in both cases identified natural causes of death. While the morphological feature of postmortem soft tissue artifacts caused by rodents can be ascribed to animal incisors, stab wound-like punctured wounds are characteristic of canine dentition of carnivorous origin. Additional morphological criteria for injuries of carnivorous origin are linear scratch-type abrasions from claws in the vicinity of the injuries. In cases of indoor postmortem animal interference damage is primarily caused to the exposed areas of the body, no self-defense injuries can be found on the deceased’s body, only a small amount of blood or the total absence of bloodstains should be expected at the scene, an inquiry of pets living free in the house or wild animals having possible access to the scene should be conducted and rodent excrement found at the scene can give the investigator further information. Key words: Postmortem injuries · Carnivores · Rodents · Animal scavenging · Tooth marks · Faeces · Death scene investigation Introduction: First described by Klingelhöffer in 1898, postmortem animal interference of human corpses or remains is a well known phenomenon to forensic death investigators. However, it has only been reported sporadically in the forensic literature, leading to a primarily anecdotal rather than systematic approach towards the subject. Although postmortem injuries can be inflicted by all kinds of animals irrespective of their size or environmental origin either from land, sea or air, the vast majority of case reports on this subject deals with indoor postmortem injuries caused by carnivores and rodents. In the present study we report the morphological features and autopsy findings of two cases of postmortem injuries caused indoors by a pit bull terrier and rats and review the current literature on this subject.

Fig. A2. Left: Postmortem injuries caused by a pit bull terrier in case 2: Nearly totally skeletization of the bare exposed face and neck with some subcutaneous tissue and facial muscles left on cheek-bones and chin. Right: Postmortem punctured wounds mimicing stab wounds caused by the canine teeth of a pit bull in case 2. --- Case2. A 40-year-old woman was found dead in her appartment lying supine on the bed and the upper trunk and legs were fully covered by clothing. The head and neck were almost totally skeletonized apart from a small portion of subcutaneous tissue and facial muscles left on cheek-bones and chin (Fig. A2 left). The lower partial artificial denture was lying free inside the mouth cavity. Significantly, there was hardly any blood at the scene except for a small amount of dried blood on the head and on parts of the clothing next to the neck region. There was no sign of a struggle and the appartment was secure. A pit bull terrier owned by the partner was inside the appartment. The woman was last been seen alive by the partner 37 h before. According to the postmortem changes, the time span between death and the finding of the deceased was about 1 day. A crime was suspected and a forensic autopsy revealed lobar pneumonia with uniform consolidation of the lower lobe of the right lung, histologically appearing as early red hepatization of acute pneumonia. Besides pulmonary edema of the left lung and an acute right-sided dilatation of the heart, a slightly enlarged fatty liver was found. The larynx, thyroid gland, parts of the carotid arteries and the upper fifth of the esophagus and trachea were missing. On the back of the head a large scalping injury was found. Inspection of the injury margins on the neck showed v-shaped and rhomboidshaped punctured wounds in the immediate vicinity of the damaged soft tissue margins extending up to 1.2 cm in depth and up to 1.0 cm in diameter (Fig. A2 right). There was no obvious vital subcutaneous bleeding in the ragged wound margins. Histological examination revealed no vital reactions neither in the soft tissue margins nor in the transected carotid arteries. There was no evidence of blood aspiration or air embolism. Apart from the lungs, no relevant findings attributable to death were found in the other organs by histological examination. Toxicological analysis showed an alcohol level of 194 mg/dl. Death was attributed to lobar pneumonia. According to the autopsy findings and death scene investigation, the injuries were found to be caused postmortem by the pit bull terrier found at the scene.

Fig. A3. Although the occurrence of artificial postmortem injuries due to animal scavenging is a well known fact to forensic death investigators, the morphological appearance of these injuries can be misinterpreted by police officers investigating the suspected crime scene or by the consulted medical practitioner. Determination of rodent species from the morphological appearance of damage to soft tissue and bones is often unreliable. In cases of postmortem rodent interference the appearance of distinct parallel cutaneous lacerations in the margins of damaged skin can be attributed to the animals masticatory apparatus, namely the pair of incisors (Fig. A4). --- In case 1 of our study the diagnosis of postmortem destruction caused by rats was consolidated by the finding of rat faeces in the vicinity of the deceased’s head. The finding of rodent excrement as the connecting link for the diagnosis of assumed postmortem rodent interference has been mentioned before, thus providing the possibility of distinguishing DNA sequences of the animal itself from those of food residues. The knowledge of the various morphological features of rodent excrement (Fig. A4) can give the investigator further information at the scene. In case 2, the size and depth of the v-shaped and rhomboid-shaped punctured wounds adjacent to the damaged edges are typical for teeth marks caused by a large dog and were inflicted by a pit bull terrier found at the scene. Stab wound-like bite marks are diagnostic for canine dentition of carnivore origin. In contrast to the finely serrated edges found in postmortem damage of rodent origin, the wound margin of postmortem injuries caused by carnivores appears less regular and often rounded. Another morphological criterion for injuries by carnivores origin is the potential finding of claw-induced linear scratch-type abrasions in the vicinity of damaged areas as described for dogs and big cats, in contrast to their absence next to damaged areas of rodent origin. In the reviewed literature (Table 1(A3)), no case of a preceding violent offence against the deceased prior to indoor postmortem animal interference has been reported. In four cases only the deceased died of an unnatural cause due to suicide. While the infliction of injuries by a domestic animal to the former owner is mainly attributed to the fact that nothing else is available to appease the animal’s hunger and therefore even decay doesn’t stop the animal’s hunger, some authors interpret this way of acting as a kind of substitute or displacement behaviour towards the deceased, mainly motivated by confusion and fear, leading to an affective agression of the animal without any actual ambition to attack. The observations in our cases support the previous conclusion that predisposing factors for postmortem mutilation by pets are social isolation of the deceased and a predisposing cause of sudden death.

Fig. A4. Above: Samples of excrements deriving from different rodents kept in part as indoor pets. From left to right: shrew-mouse, guinea-pig, common rat (above); golden hamster, rabbit (below). Below: Lateral view of a rat skull. Note the pairs of incisors responsible for the formation of parallel cutaneous lacerations. --- Death investigators should be aware of the following while undertaking a detailed assessment of the scene of questioned cases of indoor postmortem animal interference: damage is primarily caused to the exposed areas of the body, no self-defense injuries can be found on the deceased’s body, compared to the large defects a relatively small amount of blood or the total absence of bloodstains should be expected at the scene, possibly a spoor deriving from the animal’s paws can be detected in bloodstains, an inquiry of pets living free in the house or wild animals having possible access to the scene should be conducted and a careful look for animal faeces or rodents nests should be made.

Report B Postmortem Animal Attacks on Human Corpses Zerrin Erkol and Erdem Hösükler Abstract: Postmortem animal activity is an important step in incorporating protein, fat, and carbo-hydrates in corpses to the food chain. Many animal species are members of this food chain. Outdoor corpses may be attacked by many predacious and scavenger animals and exposed to complete destruction, and bones and belongings of the dead person may be scattered all over a large area due to postmortem animal activity. Indoor corpses may be attacked by pets, domestic dogs, cats, ants, and rodents during postmortem period. Besides, if the corpse is in shallow water, other terrestrial predators may harm the corpse. The most important issue in the presence of lesions on the corpse caused by animals is to accurately discriminate between antemortem and postmortem wounds. The extent of the lesions caused by the animals varies according to the sizes of their dentition and jaws, but they share some common characteristics. Lack of bleeding from bitten tissue excepting small amount of extravasated blood, absence of active bleeding, edema, and erythema on the edges of the wound are among these shared characteristics. In this chapter, the subject of postmortem animal attacks on human corpses will be evaluated by revising the recent references. Keywords: forensic sciences, crime scene investigation, decomposition, postmortem animal attacks, postmortem animal injury, animal scavengers, carnivores, postmortem artifacts, teeth marks, dispersed remains

Fig. B1. Serpiginous, parchmentized, and irregular-shaped superficial skin lesions were associated with postmortem ant activity on the left leg (Archive of Council of Forensic Medicine, Turkey). --- Ants, which are among one of the dominant insect groups, belong to Formicidae family of Hymenoptera spp. Ants feed on outdoor copses, but they may damage indoor copses such as in homes and garden cottages. Typically, ants start to appear a short time after death, and they may also be seen on the corpse or in its close vicinity during advanced decomposition phases of the corpse. Ants feed on adult flies and insects and their larvae, flesh, and exudates of the corpse, and they may decrease the decomposition rate significantly. Ants also form colonies of queen, soldier, and worker ants and may become the dominant arthropods on the corpse. Goff and Win estimated postmortem interval of a corpse based on minimum colony forming period of Anoplolepis Longipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species of ants as 12 months. Postmortem ant feeding causes formation of generally superficial, serpiginous, parchmentized, and irregular-shaped skin lesions (Figure B1). Besides, small punctate and scratch-type lesions that can be confused with antemortem abrasion and acid wounds may be seen. Injuries caused by ants generally leave behind orange-pink wound marks scattered on the skin surface. Ants usually feed on exposed areas of the body and edges of the clothes. Most frequently, the areas they prefer are lips, eyelids, and joints. However, it has been asserted that removal of eyelashes is the characteristic activity of ants.

Fig. B2. Two incisor teeth both in the upper and lower jaws in a rat. --- Predators as rodents also devour tissues of the dead body most dramatically as insects. Rodents (mouse, rat, hamster, etc.) have a total of 16 teeth, including 2 incisors and 6 molar teeth both in the upper and lower jaws(Figure B2). Parallel cutaneous lesions and fine serrated wound contours on corpses caused by upper and lower incisor teeth of the rodents during postmortem feeding are observed (Figures B3 and B4). Irregular edges of wounds due to repetitive gnawing may be seen. If the bone is also gnawed, then parallel scratches or furrows may be formed at the edges of the bone. Rodents may feed on corpses both in the open air and in confined space as home. Rodent activity has been reported more frequently in lower socioeconomic living conditions and among homeless people.

Fig. B3. Soft and cartilaginous tissue loss due to postmortem rodent activity in right ear and irregular serrated appearance at wound edge (Archive of Council of Forensic Medicine, Turkey).

Fig. B4. Soft tissue defect of the right hand due to postmortem rodent activity. Irregular wound margin and disclosed underlying muscle and tendon (Archive of Council of Forensic Medicine, Turkey).

⬆---CLICK BLUE TAB ⬆️ FOR MORE IMAGES IF ON MOBILE---⬆ ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ Fig. B5. Widespread muscle and soft tissue loss disclosed skeletal tissue due to longterm postmortem rodent activity (Archive of Council of Forensic Medicine, Turkey). When the rodent has enough time for feeding, it devours naked, unclothed, easily accessible parts of the body such as face and arms, till bones, (Figure B5) and this situation may create problems in identification of the victim.

Fig. B6. Left: The incident site of the corpse of a 75–80-year-old woman who was living alone in low socioeconomic level is shown. Right: Amputated hand, extensive soft tissue, and muscle loss that exposed bone tissue of head, neck, and upper extremity caused by postmortem activity of rodents are seen. Widespread soft tissue and muscle loss on face, neck, and upper extremities that exposed the underlying bone tissue were observed. Both of her hands were amputated from the wrists. On the edges of the wounds, teeth marks peculiar to rats were detected, and pneumonia was implicated for her cause of death.

Fig. B7. Common soft and muscle tissue loss on right cheek, nose, and upper lip due to postmortem Canidae scavenging (Archive of Council of Forensic Medicine, Turkey). The common characteristics of postmortem wounds caused by carnivorous animals are the presence of lesions resembling stab wounds because of their canine teeth and frequently linear scratches created by paws near these wounds. Punctured, irregular, partially curled “V” or rhomboid-shaped wound edges in soft tissue caused by bites of Canidae (wolf, pet dogs, jackal, fox, etc.) are seen (Figures B7 and B8).

Fig. B8. A corpse of a 17-year-old man who died because of stabbing and was burned after death. Amputated left limb, extensive soft tissue, and muscle loss that exposed bone tissue of lower limbs and hip caused by postmortem Canidae scavenging activity. Carnivorous animals frequently cause destructive changes on epiphyseal ends of long bones; transverse and spinous processes of vertebras; and distal ends of ribs, scapula, and hip bones. Postmortem scavenging lesions caused by animals belonging to the Canidae family are most frequently seen in nose, mouth, neck, and upper and lower extremities and least frequently in anus, penis, and abdomen. Wounds caused by animals belonging to the Felidae family have sharper and smooth edges just as cut by a knife, and on the edges of the wounds, linear, scratch-type lesions formed by paws may be detected.

Fig. C1. Sky burial (Tibetan: Wylie: bya gtor, lit. “bird-scattered) is a funeral practice in which a human corpse is placed on a mountaintop to decompose while exposing to the elements or to be eaten by scavenging animals, especially birds of prey. --- See link to this video below. Vultures, eagles, ravens, magpies, and many species of birds can feed on corpses. Birds primarily tend to feed on eyes of the corpses. This condition may lead to misinterpretations by crime scene investigators as a sadistically committed crime or ritual mutilation performed on the corpse. Scavenger birds as magpies and crows peck and tear the corpse during feeding, which causes characteristic triangle-shaped holes on the corpse. Dettling et al. demonstrated unusual patched areas of epidermal lesions on naked unclothed parts of a dead woman caused by scavenging activity of songbird characterized by “pecking and dragging.” In another case, loss of eye globe and earlobe due to crow feeding was reported. Variations in beak morphologies of birds may cause different lesions. Vultures and falcons may leave wounds with smooth contours resembling surgical cuts after plucking the skin. Birds can tear away intact skin, but they primarily prefer to feed on the places where skin integrity is disrupted or eroded. If the corpse is exposed to penetrating trauma during perimortem period, then birds frequently focus on this injured region, and a large round hole may occur due to feeding. In a study on the most known scavenger bird, namely vultures, it was reported that vultures observe the corpse for 24 hours before feeding on it, and during 4–5 hours of active feeding period, they can skeletonize the corpse. Conversely, in an observational study, Beck et al. left pig carcasses in an open field and indicated that vultures had started to feed on the corpse 17 days later, which they attributed to raining that suppressed the spread of odor of the carcass. In addition, some studies with 37 days of follow-up period have been also cited. If crows and magpies want to feed on larvae in cancellous bone, they will remove outer cortical layer of the bone and cause cone shaped lesions in the cancellous bone. These cone-shaped lesions caused by beaks of the birds do not demonstrate any symmetry. These lesions are haphazardly placed, and frequently they overlap. Destructive changes seem to focus on a certain area. Birds focus on an area of soft tissue to create a round hole, and also they target a certain part of the bone, remove the cortical layer, and create a collapsed area on the cancellous bone. Birds frequently leave their teeth marks on the center of the long bones or flat parts of irregularly shaped bones as scapula and innominate bone. Vultures frequently feed on body openings as anus, enlarge them, and try to reach internal organs through them. After consuming soft tissues of the head, they feed on cervical region and try to access into fatty brain tissue through foramen magnum. As a result, while vultures try to access into brain during feeding activity, cervical vertebras are consumed, and bone tissue around foramen magnum is damaged. Since intra-abdominal organs are tried to be accessed through anus, lumbar vertebras are frequently spared. Remove the space in the link Video of a Sky burial: https://rajivchopra.me/2014/12/02/poison-ii-vultures-in-the-green-rolling-hills/ If 1st link doesnt work: https://hoodsite.com/sky-burial-human-corpses-prepared-eaten-scavenging-birds-mongolia/

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