In the grave, the bodies of smokers take longer to blend with the land rather than the bodies of nonsmokers. That's the conclusion of the forensic experts from the University of Wolverhampton, UK, who conducted a series of studies to determine the exact time of death in suspicious cases.
Counting the post-mortem interval (PMI) - the time that has elapsed since the person has died - is one of the most important part of the information that will set the scene, and this is one of the most difficult to figure out. Because the longer the bodies were found, the method has been used increasingly inaccurate.
Moreover, when the body was buried in secret graves, the method for determining the PMI can become unreliable for various reasons: a sign of insect activity led to a less than expected, or it would be difficult to say whether the body was moved from another location.
Counting the post-mortem interval (PMI) - the time that has elapsed since the person has died - is one of the most important part of the information that will set the scene, and this is one of the most difficult to figure out. Because the longer the bodies were found, the method has been used increasingly inaccurate.
Moreover, when the body was buried in secret graves, the method for determining the PMI can become unreliable for various reasons: a sign of insect activity led to a less than expected, or it would be difficult to say whether the body was moved from another location.
Christopher Rogers from the University of Wolverhampton, UK, who led the research, calling every part of the body it has "ruined future" diverse. He pointed cartilage, for not getting the blood supply it will be broken more slowly than other networks.
To test this theory, Rogers and his colleagues bury the pig's feet in the ground to simulate human burials in shallow graves. They left foot to outline various lengths of time up to 13 weeks.
Research results presented in Forensic Research and Teaching Conference in Coventry, UK, showed that the cartilage breaks down in several distinct stages. Importantly, mineral crystals formed in the cartilage after three weeks and disappears after six weeks, giving the stamp "clear time".
To test this theory, Rogers and his colleagues bury the pig's feet in the ground to simulate human burials in shallow graves. They left foot to outline various lengths of time up to 13 weeks.
Research results presented in Forensic Research and Teaching Conference in Coventry, UK, showed that the cartilage breaks down in several distinct stages. Importantly, mineral crystals formed in the cartilage after three weeks and disappears after six weeks, giving the stamp "clear time".
Rogers believes that the crystals would make cartilage analysis tools are useful in determining the PMI, but stressed that similar studies need to be carried out under different conditions, such as different temperatures and soil types, to examine whether the results are consistent.
In a separate study at Nottingham Trent University, UK, Andrew Chick examined whether smoking affects the calculation of PMI. Forensic scientists often see insects eat the corpse, but the nicotine in the smoker's body can affect insect behavior "and disrupt the estimated time of death."
To find out more, Chick and his colleagues have put three pigs died in the forest. Two of the pigs were injected with nicotine in the throat, to mimic the area where the largest containing nicotine in the human body and one without an injection of nicotine.
In a separate study at Nottingham Trent University, UK, Andrew Chick examined whether smoking affects the calculation of PMI. Forensic scientists often see insects eat the corpse, but the nicotine in the smoker's body can affect insect behavior "and disrupt the estimated time of death."
To find out more, Chick and his colleagues have put three pigs died in the forest. Two of the pigs were injected with nicotine in the throat, to mimic the area where the largest containing nicotine in the human body and one without an injection of nicotine.
The research will be carried out over five years, but the team has found some interesting preliminary results. Apparently, flies avoid nicotine areas, and when they lay eggs there, the eggs were not clustered as in the other.
When the maggots hatch, they also avoid eating in areas rich in nicotine. "Even the beetle went away," he said, adding that this result means that the smoker's body might decompose more slowly than non-smokers.
"If the experiment again support these findings, forensic scientists will need to distinguish between the bodies of people who smoke and those who do not," said Chick.
He added that other chemicals could result in the same thing. "There is evidence in the literature that illegal drugs have an influence on how bodies decompose: cocaine, for example, increase the size of the maggots."
When the maggots hatch, they also avoid eating in areas rich in nicotine. "Even the beetle went away," he said, adding that this result means that the smoker's body might decompose more slowly than non-smokers.
"If the experiment again support these findings, forensic scientists will need to distinguish between the bodies of people who smoke and those who do not," said Chick.
He added that other chemicals could result in the same thing. "There is evidence in the literature that illegal drugs have an influence on how bodies decompose: cocaine, for example, increase the size of the maggots."
(various source)
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