The influence of a standardized experimental environment on early diagenetic changes to animal bone

Abstract

AbstractWe evaluated the dynamics of the diagenetic changes to pig bones incubated for 4, 10, and 31 months in a controlled environment (soil type, moisture and pH, air humidity, and temperature). The criteria for the assessment were as follows: physical parameters (bone weight), biomechanical parameters (compressive strength), bone microstructure (using micro‐computed tomography), and phosphorus and calcium content in the surrounding soil. It was shown that the bone weight decreased the most after 4 months of incubation, whereas the biggest change in the compressive strength was not observed until after 31 months of incubation. Also, the main changes to the bone microstructure were observed in the initial period of degeneration. After 4 months of the experiment, a major drop in the percentage of the thinnest bone trabeculae was noted, whereas a reverse trend was observed for the thickest trabeculae. Moreover, the most significant decrease in the Ca/P ratio in the surrounding soil was observed after the experiment's first 4 months. We conclude that the bioerosion of collagen observed after the initial experimental period was followed by hydroxyapatite chemical decomposition. These results indicate the usefulness of the applied analyses and the feasibility of ensuring a standardized environment for diagenetic research.