The DOI matches its Crossref record.
The effect of body size on the rate of decomposition in a temperate region of South Africa
Abstract
Forensic anthropologists rely on the state of decomposition of a body to estimate the post-mortem-interval (PMI) which provides information about the natural events and environmental forces that could have affected the remains after death. Various factors are known to influence the rate of decomposition, among them temperature, rainfall and exposure of the body. However, conflicting reports appear in the literature on the effect of body size on the rate of decay. The aim of this project was to compare decomposition rates of large pigs (Sus scrofa; 60-90 kg), with that of small pigs ( 20 kg at a PMI of 20-25 days, after which decomposition commenced swiftly. This was in contrast to the small pigs of <20 kg, which showed no plateau phase and their decomposition rates were swift throughout the duration of the study. Overall, small pigs decomposed 2.82 times faster than large pigs, indicating that body size does have an effect on the rate of decomposition.
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Body size seems to affect decomposition in various ways.
“body size seems to affect decomposition in various ways [145 -149].”
From Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need (2023) · cites this paper as [148]
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Research works printed but not linked: 18
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Indra, L., Lösch, S., Errickson, D., & Finaughty, D. (2023) · Forensic Science International · doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111862 · Cited by 18
Metadata
- Authors
- Sutherland, A., Myburgh, J., Steyn, M., & Becker, P. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Sutherland, A.
- ORCID
- Steyn, M.
- Venue
- Forensic Science International
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 231
- Issue
- 1-3
- Pages
- 257-262
- ISSN
- 0379-0738 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2084778071
- Cited by
- 155
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 4.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Forensic Science International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UpSpace Institutional Repository (University of Pretoria) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
- Keywords
- body size, decomposition rate, postmortem interval estimation, pig carcasses, Sus scrofa, total body score, accumulated degree days, decomposition stages, skeletonization, forensic taphonomy, temperate climate
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Female, Male, Postmortem Changes, South Africa, Swine, Temperature, Models, Statistical, Forensic Anthropology, Models, Animal, Forensic Pathology, Body Size
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