Forensic and Investigative Science FIS 20500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Algor Mortis, Pallor, Original Position
29 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
The laws of burial: environmental factors that affect organic remains between death and representation as a fossil. Aid in determination of cause and manner of death. Decomposition and destruction of hard and soft tissue. Perimortem interval- event of death, while death occurring. Postmortem interval- bone modification, decomposition starting set in. Circumstances of death: location, original position of body, was body transferred, scatter of remains- from human or animal, predictions- where other places of remains are- water main cause of this. Bone fractures charactristics: antemortem:healing, perimortem: moisture and grease content, postmortem: clean, brittle breaks. Complex and difficult to determine specific time interval. Much info needed to make an accurate estimate of interval: temperature-largest effect on determining pmi. Need to estimate tie it took bone to be defleshed and exposed, in addition to weathering of bone. Animals- insects can speed up decomposition process-eat flesh, soft tissue, depending on where body is the insects vary.
