Final answer:
The discovery of fossilized remains prompted scientific study, bolstering fields like paleontology and forensic anthropology to decipher Earth's history and understand historical events more clearly. Such fossils have expanded knowledge about past life, evolution, and human societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery that prompted the scientific study of victims was likely Option 1: Discovery of fossilized remains. Fossilized remains have long been a source of information for researchers, including paleontologists and anthropologists. They study these remains to infer details about past organisms and environments. The discovery of fossils has enriched our understanding of the history of life on Earth and has been crucial in the development of the field of paleontology, a blend of geology and biology.
Fossils can provide insight into evolutionary processes and ancient life forms, and they have led to profound scientific insights, such as uncovering the Earth's geological past. For example, early observations of marine fossils on mountaintops suggested Earth's geography has undergone significant changes, challenging earlier beliefs about the age of Earth and the permanence of its features. Fossils also offer context for modern biodiversity and the history of life, sharpening our understanding of organisms' adaptations and extinctions over time.
Forensic anthropology has benefited as well from the study of fossilized remains, as in the case of identifying cannibalism in the historic Jamestown colony using a human skull with cut marks. Additionally, the discovery of a 9,000-year-old grave of a young woman hunter in the Andes challenged assumptions about gender roles in prehistoric human societies.