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Cited by 37Forensic Entomology and Diptera StudiesForensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesDiptera species taxonomy and behavior

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The effect of clothing on decomposition and vertebrate scavengers in cooler months of the temperate southwestern Cape, South Africa

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Spies, Maximilian J., Finaughty, Devin A., Friedling, Louise J., Gibbon, Victoria E.·2020·Forensic Science International
DOI 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110197
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Abstract

With research providing conflicting results from different habitats across the globe, the effect of clothing on decomposition is unclear; some studies indicate clothing increases decomposition rate by facilitating increased insect activity, and others conclude clothing prolongs the decay process. In South Africa, such research is lacking, with no data for the Western Cape Province, which suffers from a high murder rate with many unclaimed, unidentified bodies. Improving post-mortem interval (PMI) estimates will increase chances of correct forensic identification of decedents by narrowing the search window for police. Since no current PMI estimation method accounts for the possible influence of clothing, this study was designed to examine the effect of seasonally appropriate common clothing on decomposition rate in the thicketed Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, Cape Town, a forensically significant region. Four ∼60 kg domestic pig carcasses (Sus scrofa domesticus) were used as proxies for human decomposition, two were clothed and two unclothed. The clothing, altered by a seamstress to ensure an appropriate fit, caused a notable decrease in decay rate in this initial sample. Daily weight loss was used as a quantitative measure of decomposition progression, as the clothing prevented the use of visual decomposition scoring systems. Weight loss was closely associated with scavenging activity by the Cape grey mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta), with a clear scavenger preference for unclothed carcasses. This suggests that the effect of clothing on decomposition may be better assessed in this environment by examining how scavengers interact with only a single clothed carcass.

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  • Clothing seems to slow down decomposition and alter insect colonisation patterns.

    “For instance, it seems to slow down decom­ position and alter insect colonisation patterns [64,92,162,163], taint animal bodies with human scent [50,61,91], and delay vertebrate scavenging by restricting access [7,92,103].”

    From Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

    The Conclusion (section 5) says clothing prolonged decay in this cooler-month trial. But section 3.1 says clothing did not noticeably affect insect activity, so this study does not establish the claimed alteration of insect colonisation patterns; the Introduction discusses possible insect effects reported in other research. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Site visits in the reviewed studies range from non-invasive to invasive, including carcass weighing and insect collection.

    “Site visits range from non-invasive (e.g. photographs and measurements) to invasive, e.g. including carcass weighing [92] and insect collection [64].”

    From Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

  • Clothing delays vertebrate scavenging by restricting access.

    “For instance, it seems to slow down decom­ position and alter insect colonisation patterns [64,92,162,163], taint animal bodies with human scent [50,61,91], and delay vertebrate scavenging by restricting access [7,92,103].”

    From Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

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Research works printed but not linked: 40

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Metadata

Authors
Spies, M. J., Finaughty, D. A., Friedling, L. J., & Gibbon, V. E.
Affiliations
University of Cape Town (ZA)
Corresponding author
Gibbon, Victoria E.
ORCID
Venue
Forensic Science International
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-04
Volume
309
Pages
110197
ISSN
0379-0738 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110197
OpenAlex
W3006122883
Cited by
37
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 4 · 2020: 2
FWCI
2.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Forensic Science International (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (acceptedVersion)
Funders
University of Cape Town
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
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Diptera species taxonomy and behavior
Keywords
vertebrate scavengers, postmortem interval estimation, unclaimed bodies, forensic identification, weight loss
MeSH terms
Animals, Clothing, Feeding Behavior, Humans, Herpestidae, Postmortem Changes, Seasons, South Africa, Swine, Models, Animal, Forensic Pathology

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