A review of multi-disciplinary decomposition research and key drivers of variation in decay.

Autor: McIntyre DB; Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University, Mount Helen, VIC, 3350, Australia. db.mcintyre@federation.edu.au.; Graduate Research School, Federation University, Mount Helen, VIC, 3350, Australia. db.mcintyre@federation.edu.au., Dawson BM; School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia., Long BM; Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University, Mount Helen, VIC, 3350, Australia., Barton PS; Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University, Mount Helen, VIC, 3350, Australia.; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: International journal of legal medicine [Int J Legal Med] 2024 Sep; Vol. 138 (5), pp. 2181-2192. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 16.
DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03222-2
Abstrakt: The decomposition of animal remains is a multifaceted process, involving ecological, biological, and chemical interactions. While the complexity is acknowledged through concepts like the necrobiome, it's unclear if this complexity is reflected in research. Appreciation of the complexity of decomposition is crucial for identifying sources of variation in estimations of time since death in medico-legal science, as well as building broader ecological knowledge of the decomposition process. To gain insights into the extent of multidisciplinary research in the field of decomposition science, we conducted an examination of peer-reviewed literature on four key drivers of variation: volatile organic compounds, microbes, drugs/toxins, and insects. Among 650 articles, we identified their scientific discipline, driver/s of variation investigated, and year of publication. We found that 19% explored relationships between two drivers, while only 4% investigated interactions between three. None considered all four drivers. Over the past three decades, there has been a steady increase in decomposition research publications, signifying its growing importance. Most research (79%) was linked to forensic science, highlighting opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in decomposition science. Overall, our review underscores the need to incorporate multidisciplinary approaches and theory into contemporary decomposition research.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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