Soils of contrasting pH affect the decomposition of buried mammalian (Ovis aries) skeletal muscle tissue

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Volumn 54, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 900-904

  Haslam, Tamsin C F ^a   Tibbett, Mark ^b  

^a BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

Author keywords

biodegradation; CO2 carbon; decomposition; Forensic science; soil microbial biomass; soil microbiology; soil respiration; taphonomy

Indexed keywords

CARBON DIOXIDE; PHOSPHODIESTERASE I;

ARTICLE; BIODEGRADABILITY; CADAVER; CONTROLLED STUDY; DECOMPOSITION; ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE; HUMAN; INCUBATION TIME; MICROBIAL BIOMASS; MICROBIAL RESPIRATION; NONHUMAN; PH MEASUREMENT; PRIORITY JOURNAL; SKELETAL MUSCLE; SOIL ANALYSIS; SOIL RESPIRATION; TAPHONOMY;

ANIMALS; BURIAL; CARBON DIOXIDE; HYDROGEN-ION CONCENTRATION; MUSCLE, SKELETAL; POSTMORTEM CHANGES; SHEEP, DOMESTIC; SOIL; SOIL MICROBIOLOGY;

EID: 67650666455     PISSN: 00221198     EISSN: 15564029     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01070.x     Document Type: Article

References (37)

1. Mann RW, Bass WM, Meadows L. Time since death and decomposition of the human body: variables and observations in cause and experimental field studies. J Forensic Sci 1990 35 (1 103 11.
2. Mant AK. A study in exhumation - data MD thesis London : University of London, 1950.
3. Mant AK. Recent work on post-mortem changes and timing death. In : Simpson K, editor. Modern trends in forensic medicine. London : Butterworth and Co, 1953 147 62.
4. Rodriguez WC, Bass WM. Insect activity and its relationship to decay rates of human cadavers in East Tennessee. J Forensic Sci 1983 28 (2 423 32.
5. Rodriguez WC, Bass WM. Decomposition of buried bodies and methods that may aid in their location. J Forensic Sci 1985 30 (3 836 52.
6. Payne JA, King EW, Beinhart G. Arthropod succession and decomposition of buried pigs. Entomologist's Mon Mag 1968 105 : 224 32.
7. Micozzi MS. Experimental study of postmortem change under field conditions: effects of freezing, thawing, and mechanical injury. J Forensic Sci 1986 31 (3 953 61.
8. Turner B, Wiltshire P. Experimental validation of forensic evidence: a study of the decomposition of buried pigs in a heavy clay soil. Forensic Sci Int 1999 101 : 113 22.
9. Wilson AS, Janaway RC, Holland AD, Dodson ID, Baran E, Pollard AM, et al. Modelling the buried human body environment in upland climes using three contrasting field sites. Forensic Sci Int 2007 169 : 6 18. (Pubitemid 46705542)
10. Alexander M. Effects of acidity on microorganisms and microbial processes in soil. In : Hutchinson TC, Havas M, editors. Effects of acid precipitation on terrestrial ecosystems. New York, NY : Plenum Press, 1980 363 74.
11. Hansel CM, Fendorf S, Jardine PM, Francis CA. Changes in bacterial and archaeal community structure and functional diversity along a geochemically variable soil profile. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008 74 : 1620 33.
12. Neher DA, Barbercheck ME, El-Allaf SM, Anas O. Effects of disturbance and ecosystem on decomposition. Appl Soil Ecol 2003 23 : 165 79.
13. Sagara N, Yamanaka T, Tibbett M. Soil fungi associated with graves and latrines: towards a forensic mycology. In : Tibbett M, Carter DO, editors. Soil analysis in forensic taphonomy: chemical and biological effects of buried human remains. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, 2008 67 108.
14. Carter DO, Yellowlees D, Tibbett M. Cadaver decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Naturwissenschaften 2007 94 : 12 24. (Pubitemid 46015990)
15. Carter DO, Tibbett M. Taphonomic mycota: fungi with forensic potential. J Forensic Sci 2003 48 : 1 4.
16. Carter DO, Tibbett M. Mushrooms and taphomony: the fungi that mark woodland graves. Mycologist 2003 17 : 30 4.
17. Tibbett M, Carter DO, Haslam T, Major R, Haslam R. A laboratory incubation method for determining the rate of microbiological degradation of skeletal muscle tissue in soil. J Forensic Sci 2004 49 : 560 5.
18. Horwath WR, Paul EA. Microbial biomass. In : Weaver RW, Angle JS, Bottomley PS, editors. Methods of soil analysis, part 2 - microbiological and biochemical properties. Madison, WI : Soil Science Society of America, Inc. Book Series 5, 1994 56 78.
19. Jenkinson DS, Powlson DS. Measurements of microbial biomass in intact cores and in sieved soil. Soil Biol Biochem 1980 12 : 579 81.
20. Ross DJ, Speir TW, Tate KR, Orchard VA. Effects of sieving on estimations of microbial biomass, carbon and nitrogen mineralisation in soil under pasture. Aust J Soil Res 1985 23 : 319 24.
21. Lin Q, Brookes PC. An evaluation of the substrate-induced respiration method. Soil Biol Biochem 1999 31 : 1969 83.
22. Cohen J. Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences. Hillsdale, New Jersey : Erlbaum, 1988.
23. Carter DO, Tibbett M. Microbial decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue (Ovis aries) in a sandy loam soil at different temperatures. Soil Biol Biochem 2006 38 : 1139 45.
24. Tibbett M. The basics of forensic taphonomy: understanding cadaver decomposition in terrestrial gravesites. In : Oxenham M, editor. Forensic approaches to death, disaster and abuse. Sydney : Australian Academic Press, 2008 29 37.
25. Carter DO, Tibbett M. Cadaver decomposition and soil: processes. In : Soil analysis in forensic taphonomy: chemical and biological effects of buried human remains. Boca Raton : CRC Press, 2008 29 52.
26. Vass AA, Bass WM, Wolt JD, Foss JE, Ammons JT. Time since death determinations of human cadavers using soil solution. J Forensic Sci 1992 37 : 1236 53.
27. Vass A, Barshick SA, Sega G, Caton J, Skeen JT, Love JC, et al. Decomposition chemistry of human remains: a new methodology for determining the postmortem interval. J Forensic Sci 2002 47 (3 542 53.
28. Stokes KL, Forbes SL, Tibbett M. Does freezing skeletal muscle tissue affect its decomposition in soil? Forensic Sci Int 2009 183 : 6 13.
29. Carter DO, Yellowlees D, Tibbett M. Temperature affects microbial decomposition of cadavers (Rattus rattus) in contrasting soils. Appl Soil Ecol 2008 40 : 129 37.
30. Carter DO, Yellowlees D, Tibbett M. Using ninhydrin to detect gravesoil. J Forensic Sci 2008 53 (2 397 400.
31. Hopkins DW, Wiltshire PEJ, Turner BD. Microbial characteristics of soils from graves: an investigation at the interface of soil microbiology and forensic science. Appl Soil Ecol 2000 14 : 283 8.
32. Adlam RE, Simmons T. The effect of repeated physical disturbance on soft tissue decomposition - are taphonomic studies an accurate reflection of decomposition? J Forensic Sci 2007 52 (5 1007 14.
33. Brady NC. The nature and properties of soils. 10th ed. New York, NY : Macmillan Publishing Co., 1990.
34. Fitzpatrick EA. Soils: their formation, classification and distribution. New York, NY : Longman Inc., 1983.
35. White RE. Introduction to the principles and practice of soil science. 2nd ed. Oxford : Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1987.
36. Forbes SL, Dent BB, Stuart BH. The effect of soil type on adipocere formation. Forensic Sci Int 2005 154 : 35 43. (Pubitemid 41338723)
37. Tibbett M, Carter DO, editors. Soil analysis in forensic taphonomy: chemical and biological effects of buried human remains. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, 2008.