The speed of post mortem change to the human skeleton and its taphonomic significance

Forensic Science International

Volumn 82, Issue 2, 1996, Pages 129-140

  Bell, Lynne S ^a   Skinner, Mark F ^b   Jones, Sheila J ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON   (United Kingdom)

^b NONE

Author keywords

Backscattered electron imaging; Diagenesis; Post mortem interval; Skeletal remains; Taphonomy

Indexed keywords

ADULT; AGED; ARTICLE; BONE; CADAVER; FEMALE; HUMAN; HUMAN TISSUE; IMAGING; MALE; MORPHOLOGY; PRESCHOOL CHILD; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RELATIVE DENSITY; SKELETON; TIME;

EID: 0030607184     PISSN: 03790738     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/0379-0738(96)01984-6     Document Type: Article

References (48)

1. [1] I. Gordon, H.A. Shapiro and S.D. Berson, Forensic Medicine. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh and London, 1988, pp. 1-62.
2. [2] M.Y. Iscan and K.A.R. Kennedy, Reconstruction of Life from the Skeleton. Alan R. Liss Ltd., New York, 1989.
3. [3] M.R. Zimmerman and J.L. Angel, Dating and Age Determination of Biological Materials. Croom Helm Ltd., London, 1986.
4. [4] E. Hagelberg, L.S. Bell, T. Allen, A. Boyde, S.J. Jones and J.B. Clegg, Analysis of ancient bone DNA: techniques and applications. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B., 33 (1991) 315-328.
5. [5] L.S. Bell, A. Boyde and S.J. Jones, Diagenetic alteration to teeth in-situ illustrated by backscattered electron imaging. Scanning, 13 (1991) 173-183.
6. [6] Wedl, C. Uber einen im Zahnbein und Knochen keimenden Pilz. Akademi der Wissenschaften in Vien. Fitzungsberichte Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse ABI. Mineralogi, biologi erdkunde, 50 (1864) 171-193.
7. [7] L.S. Bell, Palaeopathology and diagenesis: an SEM evaluation of structural changes using backscattered electron imaging. J. Arch. Sci., 17 (1990) 85-102.
8. [8] L.S. Bell and S.J Jones, Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of archaeological pathological bone: backscattered electron imaging of putative Pagetic bone. Int. J Osteoarch., 1 (1991) 179-184.
9. [9] C.J. Hackett, Microscopical focal destruction (tunnels) in excavated human bones. Med. Sci. Law., 21 (1981) 243-265.
10. [10] V. Marchiafara, L. Bonucci and A. Ascenzi, Fungal osteoclasia: a model of dead bone résorption. Calcif. Tissue Res., 14 (1974) 195-210.
11. [11] A. Ascenzi and G. Silvestrini, Bone-boring marine micro-organisms: an experimental investigation. J. Human Evol., 13 (1984) 531-536.
12. [12] A.J. Clement, Variations in the microstructure and biochemistry of human teeth. In: D.R. Brothwell (ed.), Dental Anthropology, Pergamon Press, 1963, pp. 245-269.
13. [13] L.I. Falin, Histological and histochemical studies of human teeth of the Bronze and Stone Ages. Arch. Oral Biol., 5 (1961) 5-13.
14. [14] A.N. Garland, Microscopical analysis of fossil bone. Appl. Geochem., 4 (1989) 215-229.
15. [15] H. Piepenbrink, Two examples of biogenous dead bone decomposition and their consequences for taphonomic interpretation. J. Arch. Sci., 13 (1986) 417-430.
16. [16] H. Piepenbrink and H. Schutkowski, Decomposition of skeletal remains in desert dry soils. Hum. Evol., 2 (1987) 481-491.
17. [17] D.F.G. Poole and E.K. Tratman, Post-mortem changes on human teeth from late upper Palaeolithic/Mesolithic occupants of an English limestone cave. Arch. Oral Biol., 23 (1978) 1115-1120.
18. [18] R.F. Sognnaes, Post mortem microscopic defects in the teeth of ancient man. A.M.A. Arch. Path., 59 (1955) 559-567.
19. [19] S.D. Stout and S.L. Teitelbaum, Histological analysis of undecalcified thin sections of archaeological bone. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., 44 (1978) 236-270.
20. [20] M. Yoshino, T. Kimijima, S. Miyasaka, H. Sato and S. Seta, Microscopical study on estimation of time since death in skeletal remains. Forensic Sci. Int., 49 (1991) 143-158.
21. [21] P.R. Syssovena, Post mortem changes to human teeth with time. Sudebnd-Medisthinskaya Ekspertiza I Kriminalistika na sluzhbe Sletsshviya, 2 (1958) 213-218 (Russian).
22. [22] A. Boyde and S.J. Jones, Backscattered electron imaging of dental tissues. Anat. Embryol., 168 (1983) 211-226.
23. [23] A. Boyde and S.J. Jones, Backscattered electron imaging of skeletal tissues. Metab. Bone Dis. Rel. Res., 5 (1983) 145-150.
24. [24] I.M. Watt, The Principles and Practice of Electron Microscopy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1985.
25. [25] P.G.T. Howell and A. Boyde, Monte Carlo simulations of electron scattering in bone. Bone, 15 (1994) 285-291.
26. [26] P. Andrews, Owls, Caves and Fossils. Natural History Museum, London, 1990.
27. [27] C. Raghukumar, V.P.C. Rao and S.D. Iyler, Precipitation of iron in windowpane oyster shells by marine shell-boring cyanobacteria. Geomicrobiology, 7 (1989) 235-244.
28. [28] C. Golubic, R.D. Perbius and K.L. Lukas, Boring microorganisms and microborings in carbonate substrates. In: R.W. Frey (ed.), The Study of Trace Fossils. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg and New York, 1975, pp. 229-259.
29. [29] D. Soudry, Intervention de schizophytes dans la phosphomicritisation des debris ossueux. C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris D., 288 (1979) 669-671.
30. [30] E. During, An osteological and anthropological analysis of the skeletal remains from the 362 years old Swedish warship Vasa. Vasa Report: Osteological Research Laboratory, University of Stockholm, Sweden, 1990.
31. [31] T. Molleson, M. Cox, A.H. Waldron and D.K. Whittaker, The Anthropology: the Middling Sort. Spitalfields Project Vol. 2, Set no. 86, CBA, London 1993.
32. [32] S. Berg, The determination of bone age. In: F. Lundquist (ed.). Methods of Forensic Science. Interscience Publishers, John Wiley and Sons, London, New York, 1963, Vol II, pp. 231-252.
33. [33] G. Grupe, U. Dreses-Werringloer and F. Parsche, Initial stages of bone decomposition: causes and consequences. In: J.B. Lambert and G. Grupe (eds.), Prehistoric Human Bone: Archaeology at the Molecular Level, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1993 pp. 257-274.
34. [34] N. Tuross, A.K. Behrensmeyer and E.D. Eanes, Strontium increases and crystallinity changes in taphonomic and archaeological bone. J. Arch. Sci., 16 (1989) 661-672.
35. [35] E.D. Pate and J.T. Hutton, The use of soil chemistry data to address post mortem diagenesis in bone mineral. J. Arch. Sci., 15 (1988) 729-739.
36. [36] J.H. Kyle, Effect of post-burial contamination on the concentration of major and minor elements in human bones and teeth - the implications for palaeodietory research. J. Arch Sci., 13 (1986) 403-416.
37. [37] L.L. Klepinger, J.K. Kuhn and W.S. Williams, An elemental analysis of archaeological bone from Sicily as a test of predictability of diagenetic change. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., 70 (1986) 325-331.
38. [38] D.A. Nelson and J. Sauer, An evaluation of post depositional changes in trace element content in human bone. Am. Antiq., 49 (1984) 141-147.
39. [39] H.C.M. Keeley, G.E. Hudson and J. Evans, Trace element contents of human bones in various states of preservation. J. Arch. Sci., 4 (1977) 19-24.
40. [40] J.C. Marshall, The ecology and immunology of the gastrointestinal tract in health and critical illness. J. Hosp. Infect., 19 (1991) 7-17.
41. [41] M.R. Mainous, P. Tso, R.D. Berg and E.A. Deitch, Studies of the route, magnitude and time course of bacterial translocation in a model of systemic inflammation. Arch. Surg., 126 (1991) 33-37.
42. [42] G.D. Kellerman, N.G. Waterman and L.F. Scharfenberger, Demonstration in vitro of post mortem bacterial migration. Am. J. Clin. Path., 66 (1976) 911-915.
43. [43] D.R. Harper, A comparative study of the microbiological contamination of post mortem blood and vitreous humour samples for ethanol determination. Forens. Sci. Int., 43 (1989) 37-44.
44. [44] J.L. Corry, Possible sources of ethanol ante and post mortem: its relationship to the biochemistry and microbiology of decomposition. J. App. Microbiol., 44 (1978) 1-56.
45. [45] C.T. Dolan, A.L. Brown and R.E. Ritts, Microbiological examination of post mortem tissues. Arch. Path., 92 (1971) 206-211.
46. [46] L.S. Bell, Post Mortem Microstructural Change to the Skeleton. Ph.D thesis (1996), University College London, University of London.
47. [47] A. Boyde, P.G.T. Howell, T.G. Bromage, J.C. Elliott, C.M. Riggs, L.S. Bell, M. Kneissel, S.A. Reid, J.A.P. Jayasingh and S.J. Jones, Applications of mineral quantitation of bone by histogram analysis of backscattered electron images. In: H. Slavkin and J. Price (eds.), Chemistry and Biology of Mineralised Tissues, Excerpta Medica, London, New York and Tokyo, 1992 pp. 47-60.
48. [48] A. Galloway, W.H. Birkby, A.M. Jones, T.E. Henry and B.O. Parks, Decay rates of human remains in an arid environment. J. Forens. Sci., 34 (1989) 607-616.