Microbial ecology of vertebrate decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems

AR Mason, LS Taylor… - FEMS Microbiology …, 2023 - academic.oup.com
Vertebrate decomposition results in an ephemeral disturbance of the surrounding
environment. Microbial decomposers are recognized as key players in the breakdown of …

A conserved interdomain microbial network underpins cadaver decomposition despite environmental variables

ZM Burcham, AD Belk, BB McGivern, A Bouslimani… - Nature …, 2024 - nature.com
Microbial breakdown of organic matter is one of the most important processes on Earth, yet
the controls of decomposition are poorly understood. Here we track 36 terrestrial human …

[HTML][HTML] Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need

L Indra, S Lösch, D Errickson, D Finaughty - Forensic science international, 2023 - Elsevier
Vertebrate scavengers frequently affect forensic casework by feeding on human remains or
by scattering body parts and bones. Therefore, animal activity can influence complete …

Body mass index (BMI) impacts soil chemical and microbial response to human decomposition

AR Mason, HS McKee-Zech, KM Hoeland, MC Davis… - Msphere, 2022 - Am Soc Microbiol
Microorganisms are key decomposers of vertebrate mortalities, breaking down body tissues
and impacting decomposition progress. During human decomposition, both extrinsic …

Transient hypoxia drives soil microbial community dynamics and biogeochemistry during human decomposition

LS Taylor, AR Mason, HL Noel… - FEMS Microbiology …, 2024 - academic.oup.com
Human decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems is a dynamic process creating localized hot
spots of soil microbial activity. Longer-term (beyond a few months) impacts on decomposer …

Long-term effects of buried vertebrate carcasses on soil biogeochemistry in the Northern Great Plains

SW Keenan, SR Beeler - Plos one, 2023 - journals.plos.org
Decomposing vertebrates impact ecosystems by stimulating animal, insect, and microbial
scavengers, perturbing biogeochemical cycles, and transferring elements back to the …

Soil elemental changes during human decomposition

LS Taylor, A Gonzalez, ME Essington, SC Lenaghan… - Plos one, 2023 - journals.plos.org
Mammalian decomposition provides pulses of organic matter to the local ecosystem creating
ephemeral hotspots of nutrient cycling. While changes to soil biogeochemistry in these …

Exploring microbial communities, assessment methodologies and applications of animal's carcass decomposition: a review

MG Hilal, Q Yu, R Zhou, Y Wang… - FEMS Microbiology …, 2021 - academic.oup.com
Animals are an essential part of the ecosystem, and their carcasses are the nutrient patches
or hotspots where nutrients accumulate for a long time. After death, the physical and …

From carrion to soil: microbial recycling of animal carcasses

JM DeBruyn, SW Keenan, LS Taylor - Trends in Microbiology, 2024 - cell.com
Decomposer microbial communities are gatekeepers in the redistribution of carbon and
nutrients from dead animals (carrion) to terrestrial ecosystems. The flush of decomposition …

Mapping decomposition: a preliminary study of non-destructive detection of simulated body fluids in the shallow subsurface

PM Barone, D Matsentidi, A Mollard, N Kulengowska… - Forensic Sciences, 2022 - mdpi.com
The processes of decomposition that the body will have after the time of death are peculiar
and complex. The body swells and expels gases and fluids, and the flesh decays. It also …