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Environmental Forensics
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Environmental Forensics
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Bugs and DecompositionTaphonomy, which is also known as decomposition is a study of what happens
to a body after death. It is essential as it studies the processes in which affect
decomposition, burial, and organisms being re-exposed during death, after, or
before death. Taphonomy includes two different parts, including getaphony,
which it’s the study of how someone buries a body along with how the body
affects the environment within it. The other part is known as Bio taphonomy,
where it explores the remains bringing questions on how decomposition
occurred. This has three factors, which are Environmental factors, Individual
factors, and Cultural factors.
The first stage of taphonomy: is initial decay, which happens around 0-3 days
after death. The bacteria that were feeding on contents of the intestine begin
to digest the intestine, which allows them to eventually break out and digest
the surrounding internal organs. The body attracts flies, such as blowflies and
house flies which lay eggs around the wounds of the body, such as the eyes,
mouth, nose, etc. The eggs hatch, which then resorts them moving into the
body. The body goes through algor mortis, which is the change of body
temperature, which can be variant depending on the environmental factors of
where the body is located, and then Rigor mortis, which stiffens the limbs as
the muscles undergo chemical changes. The final part of the first stage is livor
mortis, which is one of the signs of death, where blood settles in the lower
portion of the body, which then causes discoloration of the skin (purplish red).
This is due to the fact that when the heart no longer functions and doesn’t
pump blood around the body, red blood cells sink. Livor mortis begins 20-30
minutes after death, however, isn’t a visible sign to humans, not until at least 2
hours after death.
The second stage of taphonomy: is Putrefaction, which is 4-10 days after
death. Bacteria break down the tissues and cells, which releases fluids into the
body. The microorganisms, usually (maggots) which have entered the body
start to digest the body tissues, which excretes gases causing the limbs, and
the torso to bloat. The maggots also spread bacteria and secrete digestive
enzymes. The body then begins the produce a foul smell, that occurs when
decomposition of the gastrointestinal tract begins, which is the foul smell
(which is a liquid) that exists in the mouth and nose as of gas pressure. The foul
smell then attracts more blowflies, flesh flies, beetles, and mites. Many bodies
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