Journal
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
Volume 64, Issue 5, Pages 1412-1420Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14009
Keywords
forensic science; forensic taphonomy; forensic microbiology; medicolegal death investigation; decomposition; scavenging; mongoose; anaerobic bacteria; Herpestes javanicus; Clostridium
Categories
Funding
- Academy of Forensic Sciences Pathology/Biology Section Research Funding Source: Medline
- Air Force Research Laboratory and Clarkson Aerospace Minority Leaders Program [MSC/PA-2018-0239] Funding Source: Medline
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Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) carcasses were decomposed on the soil surface of a terrestrial habitat on the island of Oahu, Hawaii to begin characterizing the decomposer community. Results showed that carcasses can decompose rapidly on Oahu, primarily due to the activity of fly larvae, with similar to 80% of mass lost by 8 days (similar to 220 ADD) postmortem. Scavenging was conducted exclusively by the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), first feeding on larvae then feeding on the remains. Carcasses were habitats of warm temperature, little to no oxygen, slightly acidic/neutral pH, and high sodium concentration. Larval masses selected for a microbial community comprised of multiple bacterial taxa from phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, particularly genera Clostridium, Proteus, and Providencia. These larval masses were well established from 3 to 8 days (similar to 90 to similar to 220 ADD) postmortem. These data provide helpful, novel insight into the structure and activity of carcass decomposer communities on Oahu.
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