Anthropology and Animals?

Question

I am working towards becoming a forensic anthropologist. I know they work with human remains, but are forensic anthropologists called to work with animal remains?

If they don't, then who does?

Answer 1

Yes and no.

Forensic Anthropology primarily focuses on the inductive development of an argument (hence the use of the word forensic) for a particular analysis of an event - typically a crime scene. There is a lot more to this than simply the analysis of human remains, but - typically - the forensics specialists concentrate on human remains and the rest is left to other specialists.  So - yes - in terms of analyzing the event and putting together the argument everything from animal remains to entomological remains to fragments of window glass can be important, but - no - the forensic specialists do not usually perform the analysis of animal remains themselves.  

In archaeology, the specialization which focuses on animal remains goes by several different names.  Zooarchaeology is the most popular label, but archaeological zoology and faunal analysis are also used.    

Answer 2

Forensic Anthropologists work with whatever they find at a paricular dig...

An ancient emperor may have been buried with a horse, for example, or Oetzi, the "Ice Man", was wearing hides of goats & sheep, so those skins are separate from the human body...

Answer 3

Anthropologists work with anything built by humans or things affected by humans. If animals are found with humans in a site, they probably interacted with each other. So the connection between them can be studied.