The great variety of rodent taphonomy: A series of case studies.

Rodents as postmortem taphonomic agents in the forensic context can affect various analyses such as trauma interpretation, identification, or the recovery rate. While carnivore scavenging has been studied extensively due to its destructive nature, the potential of rodents to alter human remains is comparatively underrepresented in the literature, despite common involvement. We present thirteen cases of rodent taphonomy including exposed, buried and indoor-located remains. The rodents in these cases scavenged on soft and hard tissue, dispersed skeletal elements or associated objects, and/or used human remains for nesting purposes. We detail the challenges that arise from these rodent actions, but also highlight their potential for analyses in forensic practice. The cases mainly originate in European countries, while most previously reported cases originate in the USA. This study includes rarely documented examples of rodent taphonomic actions: rodent scavenging only a few hours after death, small rodents commingling bones of at least two foetal human individuals by integrating them into their nest, and a Eurasian beaver using a human cranium as building material for its lodge. Our study serves as a practical overview for forensic investigators of how rodent taphonomy can manifest in routine casework and where caution is required when analysing human remains.