Dogs and coyotes are canids that are frequently involved in scavenging on human remains. The state of the human remains can be staged and this can give an indication of the postmortem interval involved.
Condition of Human Remains
Postmortem Intervals
Stage
early scavenging of soft tissue with no body unit removed
< 14 days
0
destruction of the ventral thorax with evisceration
removal of one or both upper extremities including scapulae and partial or complete clavicles
22 days to 2.5 months
1
lower extremities fully or partially removed
2 - 4.5 months
2
all skeletal elements disarticulated except for segments of the vertebral column
2 - 11 months
3
total disarticulation
5 - 52 months
4
Table 1, page 368
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