ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the effects of environmental, individual, and behavioral factors on the preservation of human skeletal remains. Because of the complex relationship between these variables, the importance of a holistic approach in the interpretation of taphonomic processes is stressed. Forensic taphonomy is a broad and nebulously defined field that integrates methods and data from a number of disciplines, including anthropology, paleontology, geology, biology, entomology, chemistry, and pathology. The outdoor forensic scene is a dynamic microecosystem in which the several major categories of taphonomic factors interact in significant ways. In a forensic context, two broad subfields of taphonomy have emerged in the past decade. The more traditional application is biotaphonomy, which examines modifications to the remains themselves. The anthropology subsection of American Academy of Forensic Sciences is formally titled Physical Anthropology, reflecting the emphasis that the earliest practitioners of the art placed on laboratory analysis of skeletal remains.
