- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
Dr Devin Finaughty is a South African forensic taphonomist with a particular interest in the decomposition ecosystem and carrion ecology as applies to both human and wildlife criminal investigations. Dr Finaughty is broadly trained, with four degrees covering human physiology & anatomy, zoology, entomology, biological anthropology, and higher education, and has worked in both South Africa and the UK. He has forensic casework experience through his prior roles as Senior Member of the Forensic Anthropology Cape Town (FACT) Laboratory and co-founder of the Cape Forensic Taphonomy and Entomology (CapeFORTE) Laboratory, both based at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and ongoing in his current role as a Centennial Postdoctoral Research Fellow under the mentorship of Professor Desiré Brits, in the Human Variation and Identification Research Unit (HVIRU) in the Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Dr Finaughty’s current research focuses on understanding the nuances of the complex biogeophysical interactions that emerge around decomposing animals, with a strong focus on quantifying the activities of vertebrate and invertebrate scavengers. By better-understanding these relationships, he hopes to shed light on the persistence of trace evidence in decomposition circumstances and improve investigative reconstruction of peri- and postmortem events, particularly where wild animals are concerned: the domain of wildlife forensics.
Experience
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2024–presentPostdoctoral research fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
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2019–2024Associate lecturer, University of Kent
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2018–2019Adjunct assistant professor, University of Cape Town
Education
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2023University of Kent, Postgraduate Certificate of Higher Education (PGCHE)
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2019University of Cape Town, Ph.D. (Biological Anthropology)
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2012University of Cape Town, B.Sc. (Med) Hons. (Biological Anthropology)
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2011University of Cape Town, B.Sc. (Human Physiology & Zoology)
Publications
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2025Seasonal decomposition and the effect of clothing in Cape Town, South Africa., Journal of Forensic Sciences
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2025Terrain of taphonomy: how biogeographic variation affects decomposition and scavenger behaviour in two forensically significant habitats of Cape Town, South Africa., International Journal of Legal Medicine
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2025Quantifying forensically relevant vertebrate scavenging: a pilot study to develop a methodological framework using Cape grey mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta) as an illustrative model., Forensic Sciences Research
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2025Long-term qualitative analysis of clothing degradation associated with surface-decomposition in Cape Town, South Africa., Science & Justice
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2024Forensic taphonomic experimental design matters: assessing clothing and carrion biomass load on scavenging in Cape Town, South Africa., International Journal of Legal Medicine
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2024Flowing with the stream: unidirectional dispersal of blow fly larvae following decomposition fluids from an adult pig carrion., South African Journal of Science
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2024Drying the mystery: A novel electronic sensor to quantify soft-tissue desiccation and natural mummification for forensic taphonomy., Nature: Scientific Reports
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2023Parasitic and predatory behaviour of Alysia manducator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on blow fly larvae feeding on an adult pig carcass in the Western Cape Province of South Africa: preliminary observations and forensic implications., International Journal of Forensic Medicine
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2023Portion size matters: Carrion ecology lessons for medicolegal death investigations – a study in Cape Town, South Africa., Journal of Forensic Sciences
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2023Incidental observation of bone modification by Crematogaster cf. liengmei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cape Town, South Africa., Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
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2023Next generation forensic taphonomy: Automation for experimental, field-based research., Forensic Science International
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2023Confronting historical legacies of biological anthropology in South Africa—Restitution, redress and community-centered science: The Sutherland Nine., Plos One
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2023Forensic experiments on animal scavenging and scattering: what we have, what we need and how to do., International Journal of Legal Medicine
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2022Pressing need for national governmental recognition of forensic anthropology in South Africa as illustrated in a complex case., Science & Justice
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2022Caught in the act: impact of Crematogaster cf. liengmei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) necrophagous behaviour on neonate pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus L.) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa., International Journal of Legal Medicine
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2021‘Grey Areas’: Ethical challenges posed by social media-enabled recruitment and online data collection in cross-border, social science research., Research Ethics
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2020A review of experimental design in forensic taphonomy: moving towards forensic realism., Forensic Sciences Research
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2020Automation: A golden ticket for taphonomic research?, Forensic Science International
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2020The effect of clothing on decomposition and vertebrate scavengers in cooler months of the temperate southwestern Cape, South Africa., Forensic Science International
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2019Forensic taphonomy: Inaccuracy of accumulated degree day models for estimating terrestrial post-mortem intervals in Cape Town, South Africa., Forensic Science International
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2019Precocious natural mummification in a temperate climate (Western Cape, South Africa), Forensic Science International
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2018Forensic taphonomy: Vertebrate scavenging in the temperate southwestern Cape, South Africa, Forensic Science International
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2018Forensic taphonomy: Scavenger-induced scattering patterns in the temperate southwestern Cape, South Africa, Forensic Science International
Grants and Contracts
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2025Open Technology Programme
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding Source:
- Dutch Research Council
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2025Competitive Programme for Rated Researchers
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding Source:
- National Research Foundation of South Africa
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2024HUB DRC Research Grant
- Role:
- Co-Principal Investigator
- Funding Source:
- University of Cape Town
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2024Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Scholarship
- Role:
- Principal Investigator
- Funding Source:
- Oppenheimer Memorial Trust
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2023Stimulus Award
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding Source:
- University of Cape Town
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20224Rs Research Grant for the Implementation of the 4Rs in Animal Research
- Role:
- Principal Investigator
- Funding Source:
- University of Cape Town
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2021Capital Funding Competition
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding Source:
- United Kingdom Office for Students
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2020Discretionary Research Funding
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding Source:
- University of Cape Town
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2019Explorer Grant
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding Source:
- University of Cape Town
Professional Memberships
- Anatomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA)
- American Academy of Biological Anthropologists (AABA)
Contact Devin for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
- Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Website
- LinkedIn: devinfinaughty
- Article Feed
- ORCID
- Joined
