Moisture Content in Decomposing, Desiccated, and Mummified Human Tissue

Lennartz, Autumn; Hamilton, Michelle D.; Weaver, Russell L.

doi:10.5744/fa.2020.1001

Cited by 17 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…For original soft tissues and biomolecules to preserve in fossils, these degradative processes must have been slowed or arrested shortly post-mortem so that the original cells and tissues were not completely decomposed (Briggs et al 2000). This can potentially occur via rapid burial and mineralization of organismal remains (Vandenbroucke & Largeau 2007) or via rapid freezing, as in the case of permafrost specimens (Jensen & Sheehan 2014), or via desiccation (Lennartz et al 2020). Biologically mineralized skeletal elements such as bone offer an additional layer of protection to the soft tissues they harbor (Demarchi et al 2016a).…”

Section: A Post-mortem Tissue Decaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, complete desiccation of biological tissues shortly post-mortem would likely preserve them to the point that thermally/time-mediated in-situ polymerization could occur. Absent an aqueous environment, microbially-mediated enzymatic degradation, as well as degradative chemical reactions such as hydrolysis, cannot occur, and the result is the mummification of biological tissues (Lennartz et al 2020). Tissues preserved via such a mechanism are known to persist indefinitely (Lennartz et al 2020;Mustoe 2018) even if initial oxidative in-situ polymerization and anaerobic AGE crosslinking reactions are limited.…”

Section: Equation 10: Rh→ R• + H•mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Chemical Framework for the Preservation of Fossil Vertebrate Cells and Soft Tissues

Anderson

2022

Preprint

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Reports of preserved cells and other soft tissues in pre-Pleistocene vertebrates, including dinosaurs, have been met with controversy within the field of vertebrate paleontology. To explain such reports, Schweitzer et al. ( 2014) hypothesized that iron-mediated radical crosslinking preserves ancient soft tissues in a manner somewhat analogous to histological tissue fixation. In 2018, Wiemann et al. proposed a second hypothesis that these soft tissues were preserved as advanced glycation/lipoxidation end products (AGEs/ALEs). The biogeochemistry underlying these hypotheses, however, remains poorly described for fossil vertebrates.This review posits a novel chemical framework describing the persistence of biological "soft" tissues into deep time. The prior iron-mediated radical crosslinking and AGE/ALE mechanisms are re-described in context of established chemistry from a diversity of scientific fields. Significantly, this framework demonstrates the hypotheses presented by Schweitzer et al. (2014) and Wiemann et al. (2018) are, in many cases, subsequent steps of a single, unified reaction mechanism, and not separate hypotheses. Knowledge of the chemical mechanisms underlying vertebrate soft tissue preservation has direct implications for molecular paleontology and archeology, including efforts at molecular sequence recovery within the ancient DNA and paleoproteomic communities. Such implications that are immediately apparent from examining the chemical framework are discussed. I.

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Section: A Post-mortem Tissue Decaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Equation 10: Rh→ R• + H•mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Chemical Framework for the Preservation of Fossil Vertebrate Cells and Soft Tissues

Anderson

2022

Preprint

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“…However, longitudinal research in central and eastern Texas as well as Tennessee demonstrate that bodies left on the ground surface often form a desiccated shell of skin around the otherwise skeletal remains even though all these environments are considered subtropical humid [50]. To investigate the causes of this phenomenon, Lennartz [51] conducted a pilot study examining desiccation and mummification of skin in central Texas. She specifically examined the effects of temperature, humidity, precipitation, and solar radiation on moisture changes in the skin.…”

Section: Fundamental Shifts In Decomposition Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In her study, there was approximately a 9% loss in moisture with each 10 °C increase in temperature. Surprisingly, Lennartz [51] found no significant correlation between desiccation rates and humidity, precipitation, or solar radiation.…”

Section: Fundamental Shifts In Decomposition Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances in forensic anthropology: decomposition research

Wescott

2018

Forensic Sciences Research

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Decomposition research is still in its infancy, but significant advances have occurred within forensic anthropology and other disciplines in the past several decades. Decomposition research in forensic anthropology has primarily focused on estimating the postmortem interval (PMI), detecting clandestine remains, and interpreting the context of the scene. Additionally, while much of the work has focused on forensic-related questions, an interdisciplinary focus on the ecology of decomposition has also advanced our knowledge. The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the fundamental shifts that have occurred to advance decomposition research, such as the role of primary extrinsic factors, the application of decomposition research to the detection of clandestine remains and the estimation of the PMI in forensic anthropology casework. Future research in decomposition should focus on the collection of standardized data, the incorporation of ecological and evolutionary theory, more rigorous statistical analyses, examination of extended PMIs, greater emphasis on aquatic decomposition and interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research, and the use of human cadavers to get forensically reliable data.

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“…These factors are both intrinsic to the corpse and extrinsic (environmental), and include (but are not limited to) age, body mass and constitution, health status, clothing and/or wrapping, bacterial/insect/animal activity, setting, temperature, moisture, soil type and pH, vegetation, altitude, seasonality, and decomposer community structure (i.e., biological agents that use human remains for minerals and nutrients) [18][19][20][21][22]. Decomposition can be retarded temporarily or long-term [18] by processes such as freezing and thawing, [2,23,24] desiccation [25,26], and saponification [27][28][29]. These delaying processes are not mutually exclusive but can appear in the same corpse, as well as coexist with putrefaction [14,28,66].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%