Fig 1.
Temperature measurements throughout the experimental trial.
(A) Orange lines and dates indicate the time points of the complete body exhumations (long lines) and partial exhumations (short lines). (B) Exemplary section of temperature changes in response to environmental fluctuations. There is a phase shift of approximately 9 h, together with reduced amplitude from air (ΔTair = 11.5°C) to grave (ΔTgrave = 1.5°C). A similar effect was observed from grave to body temperature with a phase shift of approximately 7 h and further reduced amplitude (ΔTdonor = 0.5°C).
Table 1.
Mean temperatures and precipitation throughout each month of the experimental trial.
Fig 2.
Morphologic scoring according to the keys of Megyesi and Gelderman.
Scores were assessed on the day of the burial (Aug 4th), and after 28 and 105 days in an earth grave. ADD estimations are based on the formulae published in the original articles. Megyesi et al. [8] reported a Standard Error (SE) of 388.16 ADD for all calculations, Gelderman et al. [6] reported an SE of 52 ADD for outdoor cases. PMI = postmortem interval [days], ADD = accumulated degree days, ADD est = estimated accumulated degree days, TBS = total body score, FDS = facial decomposition score, BDS = body decomposition score, LDS = limbs decomposition score, TDS = total decomposition score.
Fig 3.
Muscle protein degradation patterns of donor A and donor B.
Biopsy samples were taken from the right thigh from day 0 to 28r. After day 28 (first exhumation) the left side was sampled until the second exhumation 28l to 105). The native band of all investigated proteins disappeared at some point during the experiment. Degradation products of vinculin and α-actinin as well disappeared in further consequence. Note that the degradation patterns and temporal coherences are similar but not identical in donor A and donor B. Two gels/blots were required to investigate each timeline (0 to 28 and 40 to 105), denoted by the vertical white lines.
Fig 4.
(A) Day 0 (day of burial), baited flytrap. (B) Day 0, female blow fly Lucilia sericata at the mouth corner of donor B. (C-D) Day 105 (second exhumation), a pupa of the scuttle fly Megaselia scalaris inside of the right hand of donor B.
Fig 5.
(A) Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity. (B) Relative abundance of predominate phyla, and (C) family changes over sampling dates for each body location.
Table 2.
Details of the two body donors.
Fig 6.
Experimental setup and reference sample collection.
(A-B) Earth graves in the sandy soil of ARISTA. (B) Graves of donor A (right, blue flags) and B (left, red flags). In the background: switch box for data acquisition and fly trap (circled in black). (C) Biopsy of the thigh muscle for protein analysis. (D) Microbial swab from the ear. (E) Body position in the earth grave and partial exhumation of the thigh. (F) Detail of a partial exhumation of the thigh with a series of skin openings for muscle tissue biopsies.