The Living Dead: Bacterial Community Structure of a Cadaver at the Onset and End of the Bloat Stage of Decomposition

摘要: Human decomposition is a mosaic system with an intimate association between biotic and abiotic factors. Despite the integral role of bacteria in process, few studies have catalogued bacterial biodiversity for terrestrial scenarios. To explore microbiome decomposition, two cadavers were placed at Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science facility allowed to decompose under natural conditions. The bloat stage easily identified taphonomy readily attributed microbial physiology, was targeted. Each cadaver sampled time points, onset end stage, from various body sites including internal locations. Bacterial samples analyzed by pyrosequencing 16S rRNA gene. Our data show shift aerobic anaerobic all demonstrate variation community structure bodies, sample within body, initial points site. These are best not viewed as comparison but rather additive sets. While some species recovered same those observed culture-based studies, many novel. results preliminary add larger emerging set; more comprehensive study needed further dissect human decomposition.