Understanding what the Loch Borralie analysis actually found requires some background on how archaeologists analyze skeletal remains for evidence of post-mortem modification.

Bones carry a record of what happened to them.

The surfaces of bones preserve marks, scratches, cuts, and other traces of the things that contacted or worked on them during and after the life of the individual who carried them.

These marks are informative in ways that require specific knowledge to read correctly.

Animal gnawing produces characteristic damage patterns.

Carnivore teeth leave V-shaped grooves that typically run parallel to the long axis of the bone, with a specific cross-sectional profile that reflects the shape of the teeth that made them.

The specific patterns of damage associated with dogs, rodents, and other common bone-gnawing animals are well-documented in the forensic and archaeological literature, and experienced osteologists can identify animal gnawing with considerable confidence.