Ch. 14 -- Field Methods Flashcards
Taphonomy
The study of the fate of the remains of organisms after they die
Algor mortis
The cooling of the body after death
Begins immediately upon death
Livor mortis
The purple coloration that develops in the skin of the underside of the body resulting from the gravitational movement of blood
Appears within one and a half to two hours of death
Rigor mortis
Muscle stiffening caused by chemical changes in the tissue
Begins in small muscles as early as 10 min after death and progresses throughout the body
Complete by 12-24 hrs then slowly disappears over the next one to two days
Autolysis
First step of decomposition
“Self-digestion”
Adipocere
Composed of insoluble fatty acids resulting from the slow hydrolysis of the body’s fats in water
(Grave wax)
Postmortem interval
Time since death
