Decomposition dynamics across sequential environments: subaerial and freshwater aquatic transitions

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Postmortem Taphonomy
• Environmental Forensics

Background:

• Decomposition dynamics are crucial for forensic investigations.
• Research on decomposition in static environments is extensive.
• Transitions between subaerial and aquatic environments are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate decomposition rates in juvenile pigs undergoing environmental transitions.
• To compare subaerial-to-aquatic and aquatic-to-subaerial decomposition patterns.
• To evaluate the efficacy of current decomposition scoring systems in transitional environments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized juvenile piglets in controlled subaerial-to-aquatic and aquatic-to-subaerial transition experiments.
• Employed Adjusted Total Body Scores and Total Aquatic Decomposition Scores for quantification.
• Calculated Accumulated Degree Days to standardize for thermal variations.

Main Results:

• Subaerial-to-aquatic transitions showed initial delay followed by rapid decomposition and skeletonization.
• Aquatic-to-subaerial transitions resulted in rapid decomposition then mummification.
• Current scoring systems inadequately captured morphological changes in transitional scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Environmental transitions profoundly impact decomposition rates and patterns.
• Existing forensic decomposition scoring systems require refinement for transitional environments.
• Further research is needed to develop novel scoring frameworks for fluctuating conditions.