Morphological and molecular approaches to characterise modifications relating to mammalian hairs in archaeological, paleontological and forensic contexts
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Mammalian hair is readily shed and transferred to persons or objects during contact; this property renders hair as one of the most ubiquitous and prevalent evidence type encountered in forensic investigations and at ancient burial sites.The durability and stability of hair ensures their survival for millennia; their status as a privileged repository of viable genetic material consolidates their value as a biological substrate.The aims of this thesis are to showcase the wealth, and breadth, of information that may be gleaned from these unique structures and address the current problem regarding the mis-identification of animal hairs.Despite the similar appearance of human and animal hairs, the expertise required to accurately interpret their respective structures requires significantly different skill sets.Chapter Two in this thesis discusses the consequences of mis-identification of hair structures due to lack of competency or adequate training in regards to hair examiners and discusses some of the myths and misconceptions associated with microscopy of hairs.Hairs are resilient structures capable of surviving for millennia as exemplified by extinct megafauna hairs; however, they are not totally immune to deleterious effects of environmental insults or biodegradation.There is a paucity of morphological data 3.2 Interpreting biological degradative processes acting on mammalian hair in the living and the dead -which ones are taphonomic?
Author: Silvana R. Tridico
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1941747499