Chapter 6 - Ecological Influences on Scavenging Behavior

Abstract

Scavenger behavior, and therefore the resultant taphonomic effects on human remains, is heavily influenced by interactions with the scavengers’ environment and other organisms within their biological community. This chapter overviews the effects of several ecological variables on scavenger behavior. Environmental and climatic variables influence the likelihood of remains being scavenged by any given species. The timing of the onset of scavenging after death by vertebrate scavengers and their competitors, namely microorganisms and necrophagous insects, is also affected by such variables. Changes in the composition of the biological community also influence the likelihood of carrion utilization by different members of the scavenging guild by affecting the availability of carrion or alternative food resources, or by affecting the frequency and outcomes of competitive interactions between scavenging species. Human presence can also impact the behavior of scavengers, often reflecting scavenger avoidance of human activity, although some species may tolerate or even benefit from an anthropogenic environment.