The speed of post mortem change to the human skeleton and its taphonomic significance |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Sorbonne Universités; UPMC University Paris 06, UMR 7193 ISTEP, F-75005, Paris, France;2. CNRS, UMR 7193 ISTEP, F-75005, Paris, France;3. Institut für Geowissenschaften, Arbeitsgruppe für Angewandte und Analytische Paläontologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany;4. Archéologies et Sciences de l''Antiquité, UMR 7041, CNRS, Maison Archéologie et Ethnologie, 21 allée de l''Université, F-92023, Nanterre Cedex, France;1. Forensic Anthropology Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, 72 East Concord Street, L1004, Boston, MA 02118, USA;2. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 720 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA;1. Forensic Anthropology Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, 72 East Concord Street, L1004, Boston, MA 02118, USA;2. Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA;1. Becaria, División Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina;2. División Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina;3. CEAR, Facultad de Humanidades y Artes, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina;4. Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica de Barrido, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina;5. División Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina;6. CONICET, Argentina |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this study was to assess the potential speed of post mortem alteration to skeletal microstructure by examining human material drawn from differing environmental contexts and time periods. The material was taken from terrestrial, intertidal and lacustrine contexts and extended over a range of 3 months to 83 years post mortem. The examination was conducted using backscattered electron imaging which provided information on microstructure and relative density. The results from this study have significantly brought forward the time of known onset for post mortem alteration for 3 morphological types of microstructural change, the earliest of which was 3 months post mortem. The contribution of the depositing environment was also shown to influence significantly the microstructural/ morphological type of post mortem alteration. It is hypothesized that microstructural changes to bone could occur within days of death as a result of endogenous bacterial migration to the skeleton. Further studies are required to establish definitively the earliest moment that such change can occur prior to skeletonisation. |
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