Abstract
A taphonomic research facility for the study of human remains was recently realized in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to systematically investigate the decomposition of the human body under known conditions. Governmental authorization was obtained to make use of the body donation program of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, for this specific purpose. In contrast to the small number of comparable initiatives elsewhere, this facility specifically allows for the study of buried bodies e.g. with the use of telemetry and remote sensing. Here, we discuss the concept of body donation in the Netherlands, its role in taphonomic research, and the sequence of events that preceded the realization of this facility, which is the first of its kind in Europe. In addition to offering novel research options to the scientific community, we hope that it will also pave the way for the successful realization of similar initiatives in other locations.
Highlights
Over the past decades, forensic science has evolved from a niche discipline into a global and multidisciplinary scientific field of broad societal impact
Questions arising from forensic case work have highlighted the need for detailed research in the field of taphonomy, i.e. the study of how decay and deposition alter organic remains
As an auxiliary discipline to paleontology, taphonomy was originally focused on the study of the transition of animal remains from the biosphere to the lithosphere, in order to understand the composition of the fossil record
Summary
Forensic science has evolved from a niche discipline into a global and multidisciplinary scientific field of broad societal impact. In order to address these questions reliably, the taphonomic processes involved in the decay of recently deceased humans must be studied systematically It is insufficient, and in many countries even legally prohibited, to make use of forensic case work for such research purposes. Important characteristics which are more standardized for animal subjects include age, sex, stature, body weight, body integrity and, especially in contrast to humans, provenance, nurture, diet, medical history, treatments, intoxications as well as the cause and manner of death All of these characteristics may have a profound influence on the individual’s microbiome (reviewed by [14,15,16]) and on the decomposition processes of its corpse (reviewed by [17]). The results of taphonomic research performed with animals should be validated with human bodies in order to be applicable to forensic case work
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