Changes in the nature and integrity of chop marks in bone found beneath tree roots.
An evaluation of the viability of a shared European ballistics database in consideration of UK policing and criminal justice opt-outs.
August 7, 2021An evaluation of different brands of furniture polish on the forensic Luminol test.
August 7, 2021Changes in the nature and integrity of chop marks in bone found beneath tree roots.
Example forensic science dissertation topic 4:
Changes in the nature and integrity of chop marks in bone found beneath tree roots.
The increased acidity of the soil as a direct result of roots can impact the forensic integrity of bones found buried beneath trees. As Schiffer (1987) notes, direct contact with tree roots can cause etching on the bone. This dissertation considers the effect this has on chop marks from the perspective of forensic identification through changes in striated tool marks. Using a series of tests including simulated aging processes, this dissertation determines whether there is evidentiary reliability in tool marks made on bone that has been buried for a period of a minimum of one year under Douglas firs.
Suggested initial topic reading:
- Baxter, K. (2004). ‘Extrinsic factors that affect the preservation of bone’. Nebraska Anthropologist, Vol. 19, pp. 38-45.
- Kelly, H.M. (2008). Cutting crime: The evidential value of toolmarks in bone. Doctoral thesis, University of Auckland.
- Schiffer, M.B. (1987). Formation processes of the archaeological record. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico.
