Abstract：
The identification of marine post-mortem microstructural change in human bone tissue is valuable in forensic casework as evidence of an individual\'s burial history. This study examined micro-tunneling in pig-bone tissue microstructure that had been submerged in a marine environment. The objective of the experiment was to assess total distribution of post-mortem microstructural change and degree of preservation within and between individual submerged pig skeletons. 14 juvenile pig carcasses were submerged in British Columbia at 92-300 m depths, between four to eight months. Seven pigs were individually submerged within caged platforms, seven were tied to open platforms. Six bones were selected from each carcass: first rib, radius, ulna, middle-rib, tibia, and femur. Two transverse thin sections were sampled at each bone mid-shaft (n = 148) and examined using circularly polarized transmitted light. The distribution of tunnels was assessed by measuring tunnel maximum ingress and diameter at 40 locations of the peripheral cortex. All element types were impacted by peripheral tunneling from the periosteum to the central cortex. Tunnels were observed as radiating, bifurcating with no remineralization boundary, isolated and in clusters. Tunnel diameters ranged between 2.00 μm and 12.8 μm, with a 3.7 μm mean. Ingress measurements ranged between 7.5 μm and 435.8 μm with a 93.0 μm mean. Distribution of post-mortem microstructural change across skeletal elements showed the averaged maximum ingress was deeper in the uncaged (99.6 μm), when compared to caged material (78.5 μm). The averaged tunnel ingress had statistically significant differences between uncaged and caged carcasses overall (p-value=0.02). Results of the study indicate microboring is present in marine submersed mammalian bone microstructure in as little as 134 days. This informs forensic investigators of the rate of skeletal destruction and of the narrow window for forensic recoveries, particularly in an enclosed environment. Furthermore, the presence of marine microboring in bone can assist forensic practitioners to histologically interpret the environmental history of a corpse.
摘要：
人体骨组织中海洋死后微观结构变化的鉴定在法医案件中作为个人埋葬史的证据很有价值。这项研究检查了淹没在海洋环境中的猪骨组织微结构中的微隧穿。实验的目的是评估死后微观结构变化的总分布以及单个淹没猪骨骼内部和之间的保存程度。14只幼猪尸体被淹没在不列颠哥伦比亚省的92-300米深度，四到八个月之间。七头猪分别被淹没在笼子里的平台中，七个被绑在开放的平台上。从每个尸体中选择了六个骨头：第一肋骨，半径,尺骨,中肋,胫骨,和股骨。在每个骨中轴（n=148）处采样两个横向薄片，并使用圆偏振透射光进行检查。通过测量周围皮质40个位置的隧道最大入口和直径来评估隧道的分布。所有元素类型都受到从骨膜到中央皮质的外周隧道的影响。隧道被观察为辐射，分叉无再矿化边界,孤立和集群。隧道直径范围在2.00μm和12.8μm之间，平均值为3.7μm。入口测量范围在7.5μm和435.8μm之间,平均值为93.0μm。死后微观结构变化在骨骼元素中的分布表明，平均最大入口在未封口（99.6μm）中更深，与笼状材料（78.5μm）相比。平均隧道入口在未饲养和笼养的屠体之间具有统计学上的显着差异（p值=0.02）。研究结果表明，在长达134天的时间内，海洋浸没的哺乳动物骨骼微结构中就存在微钻孔。这使法医调查人员了解骨骼破坏率和法医回收的狭窄窗口，特别是在封闭的环境中。此外，骨骼中存在海洋微钻孔可以帮助法医从组织学上解释尸体的环境史。
