Micozzi M S
J Forensic Sci. 1986 Jul;31(3):953-61.
Understanding the processes of postmortem change in biologic systems is important to the forensic sciences. Previous experimental studies of postmortem change in animals under field conditions made use of animal carcasses that had been incidentally exposed to the effects of freezing and thawing or mechanical damage, or both, and were limited to gross observations. The current study was designed to document intrinsic processes of postmortem change, and the effects of freezing-thawing and mechanical injury, under controlled conditions in the field, using histologic and microbiologic techniques, as well as gross observation. Insect and microbiologic succession sequences, and patterns of decomposition and disarticulation, were observable over time. Previously frozen-thawed animals showed predominantly decay (aerobic decomposition) in the field, while freshly killed animals showed predominantly putrefaction (anaerobic decomposition). Previously frozen animals showed the same sequence, but accelerated rates, of disarticulation. Mechanically injured tissues showed accelerated rates of decomposition. These findings have implications for the interpretation of results of previous studies, as well as the interpretation of human and animal remains subjected to freezing and thawing.
了解生物系统死后变化的过程对法医学很重要。以往在野外条件下对动物死后变化的实验研究使用的动物尸体，是偶然暴露于冻融或机械损伤或两者影响之下的，并且仅限于肉眼观察。当前的研究旨在利用组织学和微生物学技术以及肉眼观察，在野外可控条件下记录死后变化的内在过程以及冻融和机械损伤的影响。随着时间的推移，可以观察到昆虫和微生物的演替序列以及分解和关节分离的模式。先前经过冻融的动物在野外主要表现为腐烂（需氧分解），而刚杀死的动物主要表现为腐败（厌氧分解）。先前冷冻的动物表现出相同的关节分离序列，但速度加快。机械损伤的组织显示出加速的分解速度。这些发现对以往研究结果的解释以及对遭受冻融的人类和动物遗骸的解释都有影响。
