Next generation forensic taphonomy: Automation for experimental, field-based research

Abstract

Determining the post-mortem interval (PMI) is often a critical goal in forensic casework. Consequently, the discipline of forensic taphonomy has involved considerable research efforts towards achieving this goal, with substantial strides made in the past 40 years. Importantly, quantification of decompositional data (and the models derived from them) and standardisation in experimental protocols are being increasingly recognised as key components of this drive. However, despite the discipline’s best efforts, significant challenges remain. Still lacking are standardisation of many core components of experimental design, forensic realism in experimental design, true quantitative measures of the progression of decay, and high-resolution data. Without these critical elements, large-scale, synthesised multi-biogeographically representative datasets – necessary for building comprehensive models of decay to precisely estimate PMI – remain elusive. To address these limitations, we propose the automation of taphonomic data collection. We present the world’s first reported fully automated, remotely operable forensic taphonomic data collection system, inclusive of technical design details. Through laboratory testing and field deployments, the apparatus substantially reduced the cost of actualistic (field-based) forensic taphonomic data collection, improved data resolution, and provided for more forensically realistic experimental deployments and simultaneous multi-biogeographic experiments. We argue that this device represents a quantum leap in experimental methodology in this field, paving the way for the next generation of forensic taphonomic research and, we hope, attainment of the elusive goal of precise estimation of PMI.