Characterization of adipocere formation in animal species

Forbes, SL; Stuart, BH; Dent, BB; Fenwick-Mulcahy, S

Characterization of adipocere formation in animal species

Forbes, SL

Stuart, BH

Dent, BB Fenwick-Mulcahy, S

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2005, 50 (3), pp. 633 - 640
Issue Date:: 2005-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Forbes, SL https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7416-0080	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Stuart, BH https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-4435	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dent, BB	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Fenwick-Mulcahy, S	en_US
dc.date.issued	2005-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2005, 50 (3), pp. 633 - 640	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0022-1198	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3536
dc.description.abstract	Adipocere is a soft white substance formed postmortem from fatty tissue in a decomposing body. In this preliminary study the formation of adipocere in soil was investigated for a number of animal species. Adipocere was formed from the fatty tissue of pig, cattle, sheep and rabbit. It was found that adipocere did not form from the fatty tissue of chicken or kangaroo in the time frame investigated. The issues being considered are relevant to the forensic examination of remains whose origin is otherwise uncertain or which are, in some way, related to human remains. Infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to characterise the composition of adipocere formed in the various species after different burial durations. Adipocere was observed to form at different rates among the species, but there was no distinct evidence of the fundamental composition varying between species. Copyright © 2005 by ASTM International.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Forensic Sciences	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Legal & Forensic Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adipose Tissue	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cattle	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Sheep	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Swine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Rabbits	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Postmortem Changes	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Forensic Pathology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Species Specificity	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry	en_US
dc.title	Characterization of adipocere formation in animal species	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	50	en_US
utslib.for	0699 Other Biological Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	0399 Other Chemical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CFS - Centre for Forensic Science
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	50	en_US

Abstract:

Adipocere is a soft white substance formed postmortem from fatty tissue in a decomposing body. In this preliminary study the formation of adipocere in soil was investigated for a number of animal species. Adipocere was formed from the fatty tissue of pig, cattle, sheep and rabbit. It was found that adipocere did not form from the fatty tissue of chicken or kangaroo in the time frame investigated. The issues being considered are relevant to the forensic examination of remains whose origin is otherwise uncertain or which are, in some way, related to human remains. Infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to characterise the composition of adipocere formed in the various species after different burial durations. Adipocere was observed to form at different rates among the species, but there was no distinct evidence of the fundamental composition varying between species. Copyright © 2005 by ASTM International.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3536