Publications by authors named "R Fico"

Hunting is commonly regarded as a prevalent leisure activity in many Western countries. Moreover, hunting-related shooting injuries and fatalities are an important issue in the forensic world. However, there is limited research investigating the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to provide a thorough analysis of these deaths.

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Estimation of age represents a central focus in the veterinary forensic pathology field. Currently, the visual examination of the dentition and the skeletal age are the main methods to estimate the age of puppies. Nevertheless, these methods are affected by a broad range of variables.

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The Northern Bald Ibis is an endangered species, and recently it was reintroduced in Europe by the Waldrappteam. The reintroduction program has been strongly threatened by several sudden deaths, mainly in Italy. The present study used a forensic approach to analyze all of the 27 Northern Bald Ibises found dead in Italy between 2016 and 2022, which were suspected to have been victims of poaching, and it followed the veterinary forensic guidelines.

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Article Synopsis
  • The identification of the earliest dogs is complicated due to a lack of clear physical features during early domestication and similarities with wild wolves.
  • Research, including molecular and morphological studies of fossils from Italy, reveals that dogs existed at least 14,000 years ago, marking one of the earliest domesticated animals in Europe.
  • Genetic links between these ancient Italian dogs and those found in Germany suggest they played a significant role in cultural and genetic diversity during the Late Glacial period in Europe.
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The detection of diatoms into the organs is considered an important "biological marker" for the diagnosis of drowning in human pathology, but it still has a high possibility for false positive results. The aims of this study were: (1) to evaluate the contribution of pathological examination in drowning cases and (2) to investigate the differences in the number and location of diatoms between animals who died in drowning and non-drowning conditions. For these purposes, 30 dead adult dogs were selected for the study and subdivided into five groups.

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