The analysis of the processes which modify bone is called taphonomy, and is also of interest to forensic scientists as an aid to the investigation of homicides. Since 1989, Saddleback College students directed by Dr. Gary Hurd have studied the residue of deer predation by mountain lions. In the west, the major scavenger, or secondary predator, of the deer carcass is the coyote.
T here are several features of whole carcass changes that are worth noting.
Forelimbs are generally the first anatomical unit to become disarticulated, followed by the hind limbs. There is a tendency towards lateralized bone consumption most easily observed in the bone loss from the ribs, and the lateral processes of the vertebrae. Unlike the reports available for human carcasses, the deer skull is rarely relocated away from the primary kill site. T rampling damage and tooth scaring on a deer scapula caused by coyote puppies. Note the polish on high spots.