The Effect of Clothing on the Rate of Decomposition and Diptera Colonization on Sus scrofa Carcasses

Allison Card ^[1] ; Peter Cross ^[1] ; Colin Moffatt ^[1] ; Tal Simmons ^[2]
1. [1] University of Central Lancashire
  
  University of Central Lancashire
  
  Preston District, Reino Unido
2. [2] Virginia Commonwealth University
  
  Virginia Commonwealth University
  
  Estados Unidos
Localización: Journal of forensic sciences, ISSN-e 1556-4029, ISSN 0022-1198, Vol. 60, Nº. 4, 2015, págs. 979-982
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Twenty Sus scrofa carcasses were used to study the effect the presence of clothing had on decomposition rate and colonization locations of Diptera species; 10 unclothed control carcasses were compared to 10 clothed experimental carcasses over 58 days. Data collection occurred at regular accumulated degree day intervals; the level of decomposition as Total Body Score (TBS surf), pattern of decomposition, and Diptera present was documented. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in the rate of decomposition, (t427= 2.59, p = 0.010), with unclothed carcasses decomposing faster than clothed carcasses. However, the overall decomposition rates from each carcass group are too similar to separate when applying a 95% CI, which means that, although statistically significant, from a practical forensic point of view they are not sufficiently dissimilar as to warrant the application of different formulae to estimate the postmortem interval. Further results demonstrated clothing provided blow flies with additional colonization locations.