WILDLIFE
FORENSICS
CSI FOR WILDLIFE
http://www.fotowolfie.com/blog/images/20061006220751_dsc_3423.jpg
The student will:
 Identify the various types of skull and
jaw bones in their evidence sample
 Utilize different types of dichotomous
keys
 Identify different types of animal hair
as to species type
 Solve the forensic crime
 Interpret a topographic map
Skull Anatomy
Foramen magnum
Foramen
magnum – large
opening in the
base of skull,
spinal cord
passes through
Skull Anatomy
Zygomatic arch – formed from 2 slender bony
processes (one from the temporal bone and one
from the maxilla)
Sagittal crest - thin ridge of bone
atop and down the braincase
Sagittal Crest
Teeth Identification
– smaller
more vertical teeth
on center front of
jaw (purple)
 Canines – longer
more pointed teeth
(green)
 Incisors
 Premolars
- flatter
teeth behind the
canines (pink)
 Molars – teeth
further back in jaw
(aqua)
 Diastema – gap in
teeth at canines
(between green
and purple)
Teeth ID
Kinds of molars
Seleodont: found in herbivores;
have ridges
Bunodont: found in omnivores;
have 4 cusps
Carnassial: found in carnivores;
fit together, shearing edges
Raccoon - omnivore
•Facial region is short/wide
•Facial length < cranial length
•Male skull: 94-125 mm
•Female skull: 90-115 mm
•Weak sagittal crest
Raccoon skull
Dental fromula = 3/3 I: 1/1 C: 4/4 P: 2/2 M
Raccoon skull and hair examples
Bear- omnivore
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Large canines
and molars
Small vestigial
teeth behind
canines
Long, massive
skull: narrow
muzzle
Large jaw hinge
for muscle
attachment
Obvious sagittal
crest
Vestigial teeth
Bear- skull and hair samples
Hair
Coats can be
yellow, black
and blue grey
Skunk - omnivore
•Long, oval shaped skull
•Upper jaw somewhat square
•1 back molar in upper jaw (most carnivores
have 2)
2 back molars in lower jaw
Skunk skull and hair samples

Hair examples
Opossum - omnivore
•Long snouts, narrow braincase
•Prominent sagittal crest
•Small incisors, large canines, tricusp molars
•Lots of teeth compared to most animals
Opossum- skull and hair samples

Hair
examples
Cat family- carnivores
Bobcat - carnivore
Teeth:
Sharp, pointed
canines
Skull:
Short round
Large eye
orbits
Bobcat – skull and hair samples

Cat hair samples
Dog family - carnivore
Grey Fox - carnivore
Long snout, lyre-shaped parasagittal crest
with a flat area between
Red Fox skull and hair samples
Red Fox- carnivore
Beaver- herbivore
•Second largest rodent
•Very large incisors—continually grow
•Very large diastema—no canines
•Shape of nasal bones square off the snout
Beaver

Hair examples
Rabbits - herbivore
•Teeth: Two pair of incisors;
one large and the 2nd small and peg like
•Lacy mesh-like bones
Rabbits- skull and hair sample
Hair sample
White tailed deer- herbivore
Teeth
 No upper
incisors
 Long
diastema
 Selenodant
teeth
Deer hair examples
Hollow brittle hair
When folded
in half forms
a teepee or breaks
http://www.iamaweb.com/
Animal_Hair/Beaver/Beaver
_image_menu.html
Skull Recap
 Identify
the skulls that follow:
Bear
Raccoon
Rabbit
Deer
Bobcat
Beaver
Fox
opossum
Skunk
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) are causing a mapping
revolution.
GIS makes it
possible to
combine layers of
digital data from
different sources
and to manipulate
and analyze how
the different layers
relate to each
other.
Crime solving
Police investigators
link police record
systems with
geographic
information to
analyze crime
patterns and help
solve cases.
Contour Lines

Portray the shape
and elevation of the
land
 Topographic
maps
show the threedimensional ups
and downs of the
terrain on a twodimensional
surface.
Each contour is
equal to a line of
equal elevationcontours never
cross
 Topographic
contours are
shown in brown by
lines of different
width. They show
the general shape
of the terrain.

 Contours
that
are very close
together
represent steep
slopes. Widely
spaced contours
or an absence of
contours means
that the ground
slope is
relatively level.
Scale and Colors of Topographic
Maps
1:24,000 means 1
in =2000 ft
Red areas
represent urban
areas.
Roads and
highways are
represented in
black and red.
Blue represents
water
 Green represents
orchards and
forested areas.
 Purple markings
are those that
have been
"photorevised," or
added to the map
since the original
map was
published.

Thin brown lines
represent contours
or points of similar
elevation.
 Contour lines form
"v" shapes in
valleys or along
stream beds. The
point of the "v"
points uphill.

Topographic maps
 http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?l
at=40.0122&lon=79.07727&datum=nad27&layer=DR
G