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Observations of differential decomposition on sun exposed v. shaded pig carrion in coastal Washington State
B S Shean1, L Messinger, M Papworth
1Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|July 1, 1993
Abstract:
The decomposition of two pig carcasses in close proximity to each other, one exposed and the other shaded, in a continuous woodland were observed and different rates of decay were recorded. The exposed pig decomposed much faster than the shaded pig, reaching a stable minimal weight two weeks before the shaded carcass. Bloat size, body weight, occurrence of blow fly larvae, and ambient air temperatures are compared. Maggot development appeared to be a major factor in the overall rate of decomposition and was affected primarily by different temperature patterns at the two sites.