The Effect of Cement and wrapping on the Decomposition rate of the Rabbit Carcasses

Main Article Content

Lai Poh Soon
Khoo Lay See
Nazni Wasi Ahmad
Azlina Zulkapli
Nurul Kharmila Abdullah
Mohd Shah Mahmood
Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi

Abstract

Taphonomic study was first time conducted in Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia. In this research model, male Oryctolagus cunicullus weighed 1.8-2.6 kg each were killed by Dolethal intravenously at the ear region. In Phase 1 study, eight subjects were wrapped in a sack and cemented within a container to be compared with the other four controls at each location labelled A (ground) and B (manmade freshwater pond). Phase 2 involved duplicating set of 15 cemented samples comparable to 1 control made up to total of 32 subjects which were all put into a compact polytank containing freshwater to simulate a case study. Taphonomic changes were observed and scored using TBS system incorporating of fresh stage, early decomposition stage, advanced decomposition stage and skeletonisation stage. The ambient temperature of surroundings with 28.81C±4.21°C and 29.21°C±4.57°C (mean±S.D.) while relative humidity of air with 74.49 %±14.61% and 79.15%±16.32% (mean±S.D.) were recorded for Phase 1 and Phase 2 study respectively. Time taken for ground control exposed and wrapped carcasses to reach first sign of skeletonised stage were four days and five days respectively. Whilst freshwater controls reached initial skeletonised stage within one week for exposed carcass and two weeks for wrapped carcass. Within the control and cemented sample carcasses, TBS scores increased from initial stages of decomposition and become plateau after advanced decomposition. The cementing factor have superseded the wrapping factor due to its stronger physical barrier effect to slow down the decomposition more than half compared to controls based on Multiple way ANOVA test. Phase 2 study has demonstrated more accurately on the decomposition rate of the cemented samples. It showed that wrapping and cementing factors have delayed the decomposition process of the rabbit carcasses about 4 times to reach the initial stage of skeletonisation compared to the control carcasses. There was absence of insect activity within the cemented samples, hence the microorganism activity would be the only contributor to the decaying process within the cemented samples at slower rate comparing to the exposed or wrapped controls.

Article Details

Soon, L. P., See, K. L., Ahmad, N. W., Zulkapli, A., Abdullah, N. K., Mahmood, M. S., & Hasmi, A. H. (2017). The Effect of Cement and wrapping on the Decomposition rate of the Rabbit Carcasses. Journal of Forensic Science and Research, 1(1), 046–062. https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.jfsr.1001006
Research Articles

Copyright (c) 2017 Soon LP, et al.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Ururahy-Rodrigues A, Rafael JA, Wanderley RF, Marques H, Pujol Luz JR. Coprophanaeus lancifer (Linnaeus, 1767) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) activity moves a man-size pig carcass: Relevant data for forensic taphonomy. Forensic Science International. 2008; 182: 19-22.Ref.: https://goo.gl/VmxxEy

Haglund WD, Sorg MH. Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives CRC Press. Ref.: https://goo.gl/NZ942B

Kormondy EJ, Brown DE. Fundamentals of Human Ecology. Pearson. 1998. Ref.: https://goo.gl/D7Uf2B

Gifford DP. Taphonomy and paleoecology: A critical review of archaeology's sister disciplines. Advances in Archeological Method and Theory ed. M.B. Schiffer. 1981. Ref.: https://goo.gl/PGHhYX

Mann RW, Bass WM, Meadows L. Time since death and decomposition of the human body: variables and observations in case and experimental field studies. J Forensic Sci. 1990; 35: 103-111. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Enm8EZ

Benninger LA, Carter DO, Forbes SL. The biochemical alteration of soil beneath a decomposing carcass. Forensic Sci Int. 2008; 180: 70-75. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Uejcxz

Coe M. The decomposition of elephant carcasses in the Tsavo (East) National Park, Kenya. Journal of the Arid Environments. 1978; 1: 71-86. Ref.: https://goo.gl/sp2Eqx

Lyman RL. Vertebrate Taphonomy. 1994. Ref.: https://goo.gl/1rxTbN

Carly MS. An analysis of decomposition rates on outdoor surface variations in central Texas. Graduate Council of Texas State University-San Marcos. 2009. Ref.: https://goo.gl/ST6yJn

Ferreira MT, Cunha E. Can we infer post mortem interval on the basis of decomposition rate? A case from a Portuguese cemetery. Forensic Sci Int. 2013; 226: e1-e6. Ref.: https://goo.gl/pUaNQz

Azwandi A, Abu Hassan A. A preliminary study on the decomposition and dipteran associated with exposed carcasses in an oil palm plantation in Bandar Baharu, Kedah, Malaysia', Tropical Biomedicine, 2009; 26: 1-10. Ref.: https://goo.gl/rPyBix

Heo CC, Mohamad AM, Ahmad Firdaus MS, Jeffery J, Baharudin O. A preliminary study of insect succession on a pig carcass in a palm oil plantation in Malaysia. Trop Biomed. 2007; 24: 23-27. Ref.: https://goo.gl/5qmyWz

Stokes KL. Forbes SL, Tibbett M. Human Versus Animal: Contrasting Decomposition Dynamics of Mammalian Analogues in Experimental Taphonomy. J Forensic Sci. 2013; 58: 583-591. Ref.: https://goo.gl/3d43sN

Zhou C, Byard RW. Factors and processes causing accelerated decomposition in human cadavers-An overview. J Forensic Leg Med. 2011; 18: 6-9. Ref.: https://goo.gl/gbkUtG

Szymon M, Daria B, Szymon K, Krzysztof S. Insect succession and carrion decomposition in selected forests of Central Europe. Forensic Sci Int. 2010; 194: 85-93. Ref.: https://goo.gl/PX49b9

Simmons T, Adlam RE, Moffatt C. Debugging Decomposition Data-Comparative Taphonomic Studies and the Influence of Insects and Carcass Size on Decomposition Rate. Journal of Forensic Sci. 2010; 55: 8-13. Ref.: https://goo.gl/W5yUiJ

Sutherland A, Myburgh J, Steyn M. The effect of body size on the rate of decomposition in a temperate region of South Africa. Forensic Sci Int. 2013; 231: 257-262. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Qsw31z

Kelly JA, Linde T, Anderson GS. The Influence of Clothing and Wrapping on Carcass Decomposition and Arthropod Succession during the Warmer Seasons in Central South Africa. Journal of Forensic Sci. 2009; 54: 1105-1112. Ref.: https://goo.gl/PJL2gj

De Donno A, Campobasso CP, Santoro V, Leonardi S, Tafuri S, et al. Bodies in sequestered and non-sequestered aquatic environments: A comparative taphonomic study using decompositional scoring system. Sci & Justice. 2014; 54: 439-446. Ref.: https://goo.gl/xP37Cw

Humphreys MK, Panacek E, Green W, Albers E. Comparison of Protocols for Measuring and Calculating Post-mortem Submersion Intervals for Human Analogs in Fresh Water. Journal of Forensic Sci. 2013; 58: 513-517. Ref.: https://goo.gl/34CaKv

Sasha CV, David FC, Ian RD. Decomposition and insect succession of clothed and unclothed carcasses in Western Australia. Forensic Sci Int. 2011; 211: 67-75. Ref.: https://goo.gl/ZGc7eM

Eline MJS, John D, Jessica D, Tatiana I, Sarah L, et al. Effects of hydrated lime and quicklime on the decay of buried human remains using pig cadavers as human body analogues. Forensic Sci Int. 2012; 217: 50-59. Ref.: https://goo.gl/ZzVerZ

Heather AT. Effects of lime of the decomposition rate of buried remains. Human Biology at the University of Indianapolis. 2000; 1-2. Ref.: https://goo.gl/yLuxFc

Cement & Concrete Product Manufacturing industry profile. First Research. 2016. Ref.: https://goo.gl/K3GvSZ

Global Concrete and Cement Market-Key Trends and Opportunities to 2017. Ref.: https://goo.gl/YUxHqs

Samuel OF, Moray DN. Suitability of cement combinations for carbonation resistance of structural concrete. Ref.: https://goo.gl/F5CKqS

Campobasso CP, Di Vella G, Introna F. Factors affecting decomposition and Diptera colonization. Forensic Sci Int. 2001; 120: 18-27. Ref.: https://goo.gl/x4XBp5

Gibelli D, Di Giancamillo A, Taborelli A, Porta D, Andreola S, et al. Burial of piglet carcasses in cement: a study of macroscopic and microscopic alterations on an animal model. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2013; 34: 43-49. Ref.: https://goo.gl/jHgfPt

Weidner LM, Monzon MA, Hamilton GC. Death eaters respond to the dark mark of decomposition day and night: observations of initial insect activity on piglet carcasses. Int J Legal Med.2016; 130: 1633-1637. Ref.: https://goo.gl/GkppXq

Zurawski KN, Benbow ME, Miller JR, Merritt RW. Examination of nocturnal blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) oviposition on pig carcasses in mid-Michigan. J Med Entomol.2009; 46: 671-679. Ref.: https://goo.gl/85P7Gk

Haskell N, McShaffrey D, Hawley D, Williams R, Pless J, et al. Use of aquatic insects in determining submersion interval. J Forensic Sci, 1989; 34: 622-632. Ref.: https://goo.gl/iRDtQU

Nawrocka M, Frątczak K, Matuszewski S. Inter-Rater Reliability of Total Body Score -A Scale for Quantification of Corpse Decomposition. J Forensic Sci.2016; 61: 798-802. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Pzx9VG

Heo C, Mohamad AM, John J, Baharudin O. Insect succession on a decomposing piglet carcass placed in a man-made freshwater pond in Malaysia. Trop Biomed.2008; 25: 23-29. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Xkzk5Y

Joy JE, Liette NL, Harrah HL. Carrion fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larval colonization of sunlit and shaded pig carcasses in West Virginia, USA. Forensic Sci Int. 2006; 164: 183-192. Ref.: https://goo.gl/HkDYdB

Aufderheide AC. Soft tissue palaeopathology-an emerging subspecialty. Hum Pathol. 1981; 12: 865-867. Ref.: https://goo.gl/7EkFNL

Azwandi A, Abu Hassan A. A preliminary study on the decomposition and dipteran associated with exposed carcasses in an oil palm plantation in Bandar Baharu, Kedah, Malaysia. Trop Biomed. 2009; 26: 1-10. Ref.: https://goo.gl/H4JmeZ

Kelly JA, van der Linde TC, Anderson GS. The influence of clothing and wrapping on carcass decomposition and arthropod succession during the warmer seasons in central South Africa. J Forensic Sci. 2009; 54: 1105-1112. Ref.: https://goo.gl/JXwoDM

Charabidze D, Hedouin V, Gosset D. experimental investigation into the colonization of concealed cadavers by necrophagous blowflies.J Insect Sci.2015; 24: 149. Ref.: https://goo.gl/B3L5A3

Klotzbach H, Schroeder H, Augustin C, Pueschel K. Information is everything-A case report demonstrating the necessity of Entomological knowledge at the crime scene. J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2004; 5: 19-21. Ref.: https://goo.gl/7kuaKS

Brooks JW. Post-mortem Changes in Animal Carcasses and Estimation of the Postmortem Interval.Vet Pathol.2016; 53: 929-940. Ref.: https://goo.gl/iFBK9b

De Donno A, Campobasso CP, Santoro V, Leonardi S, Tafuri S, et al. Bodies in sequestered and non-sequestered aquatic environments: a comparative taphonomic study using decompositional scoring system. Sci Justice.2014; 54: 439-446. Ref.: https://goo.gl/maiJ7j