Estimation of the Time Since Death: Current Research and Future Trends

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Estimation of the Time since Death: Current Research and Future Trends
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Contributors
About the editors
1 - Approaches to time since death estimation
	References
2 - Estimation of the time since death in the early postmortem period (24–48 hours)
	Introduction
	Algor mortis
	Livor mortis
	Rigor mortis
	Autolysis and putrefaction
	Other postmortem changes
		Adipocere
		Mummification
		Skeletonization
	Other parameters
		Evaluation of gastric contents
		Assessment of muscle excitability
		Assessment of iris reactivity
		Evaluation of cerebral changes
		Measurement of vitreous humor analyte concentrations
		Miscellaneous
	Artefacts
		Preservation by freezing
		Animal predation
	Conclusions
	References
3 - Biochemical methods of estimating time since death
	Introduction
	Electrolytes and elemental analysis
	Lipids and related compounds
	Proteins and related compounds
	Nucleic acids and related compounds
	Volatile organic compounds
	Completeness of data for biochemical markers
	Conclusion
	List of acronyms and abbreviations
	References
4 - The application of insects to the estimation of the time since death
	Introduction
	Which insects and other invertebrates are used forensically?
		The timing of insect arrival at a dead body
	Estimating the time since death using insects
		Insect development
		Insect succession
	Factors limiting the minPMI estimate
		Insect identification
		Geographic region and seasonality
		Weather and retrospective temperature analysis
		Nocturnal oviposition
		Thermogenesis
		Drugs
		Developmental substrate
		Maggot infestation prior to death
	Manner of death
	Collecting methods
		Specimen selection
		Specimen preservation
		Contamination
		Collecting rigour
		Summary of collecting steps
	General standards among forensic entomology practitioners
	Case studies
		Case 1
		Case 2
		Case 3
	Conclusions
	References
5 - TSD estimation in the advanced stages of decomposition
	Introduction
	Factors influencing cadaver decomposition
		Environmental variables
		The depositional environment
			The soil
			Faunal agents
		Human behaviour
		The subject
	Delayed decay rates and soft tissue preservation
		Dry environments
		Cold environments
		Adipocere formation
		Bog environments
	Differential decomposition
	PMI estimation
		Postmortem interval estimation
		Postburial interval estimation
		Advanced expertise in PMI estimation
		Experiments and retrospective studies
	Case study
	Conclusions
	Acknowledgements
	References
6 - The importance of microbial communities in the estimation of the time since death
	Introduction
	What is a microbial community?
		Microbial community structure and function
	Antemortem microbial communities differ from postmortem microbial communities
		Postmortem microbial communities shift repeatedly during decomposition
		Postmortem microbial communities are a component of a complex postmortem food web
		Microbial activity and function also shift during decomposition
		Postmortem microbial succession continues through the extended postmortem period
		Microbial communities and bone
		Decomposing remains affect many microorganisms of untapped forensic potential
	Estimating time since death – microbial communities are predictable
		Postmortem microbial communities can represent a minimum or maximum TSD
		Postmortem microbial succession can represent a range of TSD
	Microbial communities can affect other methods for estimating TSD
		Decomposition fluids and volatile organic compounds
		Microbe – insect interactions
		Microbe – scavenger interactions
	Strengths and weaknesses of using microbial communities to estimate TSD
	Conclusions
	Acknowledgements
	References
7 - The postmortem interval and skeletal remains
	Introduction
		UV fluorescence
		Luminol and chemiluminescence
		Citrate content
		DNA degradation
		Vibrational spectroscopy
		Microscopic methods
		Weathering
		Other methods
	Conclusions
	References
8 - Estimation of the TSD in an aquatic environment
	Introduction
	The process of decomposition in aquatic environments
		Autolysis
		Putrefaction
		Skeletonisation/disarticulation
		Preservation
	Variables unique to an aquatic environment
		Flotation/fluvial transportation
		Body coverings
		Water chemistry
		Scavenging
		Temperature
	Research into aquatic decomposition and determining TSD
	Conclusions
	References
9 - Radiocarbon and amino acid racemization (AAR) and the time since death
	Introduction
	Traditional radiocarbon production
	Determining an age from a radiocarbon measurement
	“Bomb” production
	Rapid carbon turnover (year of death)
		Blood
		Nails and hair
		Puparia
	Slow carbon turnover
	“No” carbon turnover (year of birth)
		Teeth
	Eye lens crystallines and petrous bone
	Amino acid racemization
	The racemization reaction in natural systems
	Amino acid racemization and the time since death
	Parameters that influence racemization in natural systems
		Post-mortem (diagenetic) temperature history
		Fossil genus and matrix
		Moisture regime
		Hydrolysis state of peptide residues
		Clay mineral catalysis and pH
	Amino acid racemization kinetics
	Applications of amino acid racemization in studies of the time since death
		Time equivalence and relative ages of biological remains
		Numeric ages
		Identification of time-averaged and reworked materials and mixed-aged populations
		Palaeotemperatures and exhumation
	Estimating the time since death over the past 500 years
	Conclusions
	Acknowledgements
	References
10 - The development of grading systems to determine human decomposition: Total Body Scoring of decomposed human bodies in indoo ...
	Introduction
	The evolution of grading systems to determine decomposition in human bodies
	Present research into human Total Body Scoring systems
	The problem of accurate temperature recording
	Inter-observer reliability of body scoring systems
	Which Total Body Scoring system gives the best results?
	Is a universal formula for estimating the TSD possible?
	Conclusion
	References
11 - The future of taphonomic research
	Introduction
	Time since death
	PMI in skeletonised remains
	TBS approaches and the PMI
	Microscopic and biochemical approaches to the PMI
	Stable isotopes and the PMI
	Variation in decomposition
	Unanswered questions
	Conclusions
	References
Index
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	C
	D
	E
	F
	G
	H
	I
	L
	M
	N
	O
	P
	Q
	R
	S
	T
	U
	V
	W
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