Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 339-383).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2001. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-332).

The manner in which remains decompose has been and is currently being researched around the world, yet little is still known about the generated scent of death. In fact, it was not until the Casey Anthony trial that research on the odor released from decomposing remains, and the compounds that it is comprised of, was brought to light. The Anthony trial marked the first admission of human decomposition odor as forensic evidence into the court of law; however, it was not “ready for prime time” as the scientific research on the scent of death is still in its infancy. This research employed the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from decomposing remains and to assess the impact that different environmental conditions had on the scent of death. Using human cadaver analogues, it was discovered that the environment in which the remains were exposed to dramatically affected the odors released by either modifying the compounds that it was comprised of or by enhancing/hindering the amount that was liberated. In addition, the VOCs released during the different stages of the decomposition process for both human remains and analogues were evaluated. Statistical analysis showed correlations between the stage of decay and the VOCs generated, such that each phase of decomposition was distinguishable based upon the type and abundance of compounds that comprised the odor. This study has provided new insight into the scent of death and the factors that can dramatically affect it, specifically, frozen, aquatic, and soil environments. Moreover, the results revealed that different stages of decomposition were distinguishable based upon the type and total mass of each compound present. Thus, based upon these findings, it is suggested that the training aids that are employed for human remains detection (HRD) canines should 1) be characteristic of remains that have undergone decomposition in different environmental settings, and 2) represent each stage of decay, to ensure that the HRD canines have been trained to the various odors that they are likely to encounter in an operational situation.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Postmortem interval (PMI) estimation is a necessary but often difficult task that must completed during a death investigation. The level of difficulty rises as time since death increases, especially with the case of skeletonized remains (long PMI). While challenging, a reliable PMI estimate may be of great importance for investigative direction and cost-savings (e.g. suspect identification, tailoring missing persons searches, non-forensic remains exclusion). Long PMI can be estimated by assessing changes in the organic content of bone (i.e. collagen), which degrades and is lost as the PMI lengthens. Visible-near infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy is one method that can be used for analyzing organic constituents, including proteins, in solid specimens. A 2013 preliminary investigation using a limited number of human cortical bone samples suggested that VNIR spectroscopy could provide a fast, reliable technique for assessing PMI in human skeletal remains. Clear separation was noted between "forensic" and "archaeological" specimen spectra within the near-infrared (NIR) bands. The goal of this research was to develop reliable multivariate classification models that could assign skeletal remains to appropriate PMI classes (e.g. "forensic" and "non-forensic"), based on NIR spectra collected from human cortical bone. Working with a large set of cortical samples (n=341), absorbance spectra were collected with an ASD/PANalytical LabSpec® 4 full range spectrometer. Sample spectra were then randomly assigned to training and test sets, where training set spectra were used to build internally cross-validated models in Camo Unscrambler® X 10.4; external validations of the models were then performed on test set spectra. Selected model algorithms included soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA), linear discriminant analysis on principal components (LDA-PCA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA); an application of support vector machines on principal components (SVM-PCA) was attempted as well. Multivariate classification models were built using both raw and transformed spectra (standard normal variate, Savitzky-Golay) that were collected from the longitudinally cut cortical surfaces (Set A models) and the superficial cortical surface following light grinding (Set B models). SIMCA models were consistently the poorest performers, as were many of the SVM-PCA models; LDA-PCA models were generally the best performers for these data. Transformed-spectra model classification accuracies were generally the same or lower than corresponding raw spectral models. Set A models out-performed Set B counterparts in most cases; Set B models often yielded lower classification accuracy for older forensic and non-forensic spectra. A limited number of Set B transformed-spectra models out-performed the raw model counterparts, suggesting that these transformations may be removing scattering-related noise, leading to improvements in model accuracy. This study suggests that NIR spectroscopy may represent a reliable technique for assessing the PMI of unknown human skeletal remains. Future work will require identifying new sources of remains with established extended PMI values. Broadening the number of spectra collected from older forensic samples would allow for the determination of how many narrower potential PMI classes can be discriminated within the forensic time-frame.

Skogsbränderna har en stor betydelse för den biologiska mångfalden. Det brandpåverkade landskapet och dess dynamik skapar viktiga substrat och livsmiljöer för många pyrofila arter. På grund av att skogsbränderna har minskat i antal sedan 1800-talet, har kontrollerade naturvårdsbränningar utförts som ett komplement för dessa sedan 1980-talet. De kontrollerade naturvårdsbränningarna skapar de miljöer och substrat som många arter är beroende av. Eftersom tidigare mänsklig verksamhet satt prägel på skogarna återfinns idag ett stort antal fornlämningar och övriga kulturhistoriska lämningar i skogsmarkerna. Det är en utmaning att utföra naturvårdsbränningarna så att dessa lämningar inte skadas. Det råder också en brist på tydliga riktlinjer om hur Länsstyrelserna ska förhålla sig till naturvårdsbränningar i områden med lämningar. Denna studies syfte var att undersöka vilken inställning Länsstyrelserna har till naturvårdsbränningar i områden med fornlämningar eller övriga kulturhistoriska lämningar. Nyckelord: Naturvårdsbränningar, fornlämningar, övriga kulturhistoriska lämningar, Länsstyrelsen Keyword: Prescribed burnings, ancient remains, other cultural-historical remains, County Administrative Boards

Identification of human or nonhuman skeletal remains is important in assisting the police and law enforcement officers for the investigation of forensic cases. Identification of bone can be difficult, especially in fragmented remains. It has been reported that 25 to 30% of medicolegal cases, which involved nonhuman skeletal remains have been mistaken for human. In such cases, histomorphometric method was used to identify human and nonhuman skeletal remains. However, literature has shown that histomorphometric data for human and nonhuman bone were insufficient. Additionally, age estimation in bone may help in the identification of human individual, which can be done by using a histomorphometric method. Age estimation is based on bone remodeling process, where microstructural parameters have strong correlations with age. Literature showed that age estimation has been done on the American and European populations. However, little work has been done in the Asian population. The aims of this project were thus, to identify human and nonhuman bone, and to estimate age in human bones by using histomorphometric analysis. In this project, 64 human bones and 65 animal bones were collected from the mortuary of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre and the Zoos in Malaysia, respectively. A standard bone preparation was used to prepare human and nonhuman bone thin sections for histomorphometric assessment. Assessments were made on the microstructural parameters such as cortical thickness, medullary cavity diameter, osteon count, osteon diameter, osteon area, osteon perimeter, Haversian canal diameter, Haversian canal area, Haversian canal perimeter, and Haversian lamella count per osteon by using image analysis, and viewed under a transmitted light microscope. The microstructural measurements showed significant differences between human and nonhuman samples. The discriminant functions showed correct classification rates for 81.4% of cases, and the accuracy of identification was 96.9% for human and 66.2% for animal. Human age estimation showed a standard error of estimate of 10.41 years, comparable with those in the literature. This study project offers distinct advantages over currently available histomorphometric methods for human and nonhuman identification and human age estimation. This will have significant implications in the assessment of fragmentary skeletal and forensic population samples for identification purposes.

No description available.

"Macaws is a field and laboratory guide to the identification of the Military Macaw and the Scarlet Macaw. Also included is a survey of all the Southwestern culture areas which have produced macaw remains...A "labor of love" by the author...Scholarly addition to our knowledge of Southwestern prehistory." --Southwestern Lore "Excellent monograph, well illustrated...Much useful and interesting data in this study."--American Antiquity

In recent years, causewayed enclosures have come to be regarded as being ceremonial or ritual sites. This classification is derived from a perceived lack of evidence pertaining to domestic settlement, in the form of houses and 'typical' domestic animal bone assemblages, and a perceived abundance of 'atypical' material and methods of deposition. This thesis explores the animal bone from the Etton causewayed enclosure in order to ascertain whether these perceptions have an empirical basis. Etton was excavated in the 1980s, and the published literature relating to the site appeared to conform to the stereotypes established for causewayed enclosure sites, however during preliminary analysis, it became clear that the animal bone data was not complete and that many of the inferences regarding the role of animals at Etton were the result of presumption or data being taken out of context. Specifically, this thesis looks at the nature of the fractures on the animal bones from Etton, and also from a similar causewayed enclosure at Staines in order to establish a clear taphonomic history for the faunal remains on the site, from which aspects of the role of animals can be deduced. In archaeological literature the absence of 'fresh', or helical fractures (which tend to result from the conscious decision to break a bone for marrow) is said to support the hypothesis that sites of this type were not domestic in nature. This assertion has been made despite the fact that no detailed studies into bone fracture at Neolithic sites have ever been undertaken. This thesis demonstrates that at both Etton and Staines, fresh fractures were abundant and considers the potential implications of this for these sites. In so doing it highlights the dangers of presuming evidence exists or does not exist, and of cherry-picking data to fit a preordained ideal rather than allowing the data to speak for itself. At Etton and Staines, the animal bone speaks not necessarily of a categorically ceremonial or ritual economy, divorced from the domestic economy of the time, but of a more mundane economy, with occasional 'atypical' activity, that was standard for the inhabitants of causewayed enclosures, whether at this type of site or elsewhere.