Vertebrate decomposition processes have important ecological implications and, in the case
of human decomposition, forensic applications. Animals, especially domestic pigs (Sus
scrofa), are frequently used as human analogs in forensic decomposition studies. However,
recent research shows that humans and pigs do not necessarily decompose in the same
manner, with differences in decomposition rates, patterns, and scavenging. The objective of
our study was to extend these observations and determine if human and pig decomposition …

DeBruyn et al. Mammalian Decomposition Impacts on Soils humans. We identified several
metabolites that were elevated in human decomposition soil compared to pig decomposition
soil, including 2-oxo-4-methylthiobutanoate, snglycerol 3-phosphate, and tryptophan,
suggesting different decomposition chemistries and timing between the two species.
Together, our work shows that human and pig decomposition differ in terms of their impacts
on soil biogeochemistry and microbial decomposer activities, adding to our understanding of …