ANTHROP 3FA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Soil Ph, Metacarpal Bones, Forensic Biology
23 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Two things known: when and where body was found. Pmi time period between a person becoming deceased and point at which body is discovered. The stages of decomposition can help determine pmi of an indiv. 6 stages of decomposition: fresh, bloated, active decay, advanced decay, dry, remains. The duration of these stages are not constant, there are a number of factors that determine how long each stage will last. Entire body can be decomposed in 1 week if temp and humidity are right. The drier the area mummification = slower rate of decay. Irregular bones spine, pelvis (easiest to recognize) Metacarpals has a ridge in the middle specific to bears. No ridge in the middle of human metacarpals. Burial site: the disturbance is initially much larger than just the grave site itself. It is impossible to not leave evidence behind when burying a body, because typically there is disturbance in soil and plant vegetation.
