Experimental Bone Taphonomy: A novel approach to long-term and monitored analysis of postmortem changes to bone

实验性骨埋藏学：一种对死后骨骼变化进行长期监测分析的新方法

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-05483
• 负责人: Cardoso, Hugo
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=567200
• 关键词: Experimental; Bone; Taphonomy; novel; approach

Although the decomposition of soft tissue has been well studied, very little experimental research has been conducted on natural decomposition of bone tissue because such studies take a very long time and require dedicated facilities. This research program wishes to fill this gap and start investigating on a long term scale the unique changes associated with the chemical and physical breakdown of bone tissue which occur during the decomposition and exposure of bone after death in ground-surface/sub-aerial terrestrial environments. This research will establish a fenced open air taphonomy facility equipped with meteorological and environmental statons that is unique in Canada. In this facility, specimens will be left to decompose for consecutive time periods and environmental variables, such as scavenging or temperature, are either controlled for or strictly monitored. The analysis of chemical and physical destruction of bone will be carried out using an innovative research design, along with a more traditional approach. In the traditional design, all samples will be laid out in the field at the start of the experiment and then a portion of the samples will be removed periodically, until they have all been recovered. In my new research design, only the oldest samples will be laid out in the field at the start and then additional specimens are added periodically, until all samples are in the field at the end of the experiment. One of the major advantages of the novel design is that the end of the experiment does not need to be determined at the start and, in theory, can go on indefinitely. In comparison, traditional approaches that rely on collecting the specimens at regular intervals must start with a clear indication of how long will the experiment last. This novel design has only been developed and tested recently and my preliminary research has demonstrated that it is as good as or better than the traditional design for assessing the sequence of changes and their variation relative to season and annual variations in environmental factors, such as temperature. Major expected result is the identification of general thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of surface and subsurface bone tissue degradation with important implication for understanding general ecological and environmental dynamics. In the shorter term this study will also allow the identification of morphological and chemical-physical changes in bone tissues related to time of death and environmental conditions. Thus the broader impact of the proposed study of bone decomposition is key to the understanding of the post-mortem environment of animal and human remains found in geological, archaeological or forensic contexts. Changes in animal or human bones from a geological (a fossil) or archaeological context can provide vital clues about the ecology in which the individual most likely lived, and about the chemical and physical changes that mediated its transformation into a fossil or pre-fossil. Those same changes found in human remains from a forensic death scene also provide vital clues about time since death. In addition, distinguishing natural from man-made bone modifications is key to the interpretation of butchering activities in archaeological contexts, but also to the determination of cause of death from forensic human remains where a suspected violent death is involved. This research will considerably expand the current knowledge base relating to decomposition of bone in ground-surface/sub-aerial terrestrial environments and the processes that influence the rate of bone change over time. It will also develop HQP with highly desired skills who will promote the research excellence of Canada in fields such as paleontology, taphonomy, zooarchaeology and archaeology or

尽管软组织的分解已经得到了很好的研究，但对骨组织自然分解的实验研究却很少，因为此类研究需要很长时间并且需要专用设施。该研究计划希望填补这一空白，并开始长期研究与骨组织化学和物理分解相关的独特变化，这些变化是在地表/地下陆地环境中死后骨骼分解和暴露过程中发生的。这项研究将建立一个带围栏的露天埋藏设施，配备加拿大独一无二的气象和环境站。在该设施中，样本将在连续的时间段内分解，并且环境变量（例如清除或温度）受到控制或严格监控。将使用创新的研究设计以及更传统的方法对骨骼的化学和物理破坏进行分析。在传统设计中，所有样本都会在实验开始时放置在现场，然后定期移除一部分样本，直到全部回收。在我的新研究设计中，一开始只会将最旧的样本放置在现场，然后定期添加额外的样本，直到实验结束时所有样本都在现场。这种新颖设计的主要优点之一是实验的结束不需要在开始时就确定，理论上可以无限期地进行下去。相比之下，依赖于定期收集样本的传统​​方法必须首先明确表明实验将持续多长时间。这种新颖的设计最近才被开发和测试，我的初步研究表明，在评估变化顺序及其相对于环境因素（例如温度）的季节和年度变化的变化方面，它与传统设计一样好，甚至更好。主要预期结果是确定表面和表面下骨组织降解的一般热力学和动力学参数，对于理解一般生态和环境动力学具有重要意义。从短期来看，这项研究还将能够识别与死亡时间和环境条件相关的骨组织的形态和化学物理变化。因此，所提出的骨分解研究的更广泛影响是了解在地质、考古或法医学背景下发现的动物和人类遗骸的死后环境的关键。来自地质（化石）或考古背景的动物或人类骨骼的变化可以提供有关个体最有可能生活的生态的重要线索，以及介导其转变为化石或前化石的化学和物理变化的重要线索。在法医死亡现场的人类遗骸中发现的相同变化也提供了有关死亡后时间的重要线索。此外，区分天然和人造骨骼修饰是考古学背景下解释屠宰活动的关键，也是在涉及疑似暴力死亡的情况下从法医人体遗骸中确定死因的关键。这项研究将大大扩展当前与地表/地下陆地环境中骨骼分解以及影响骨骼随时间变化率的过程相关的知识库。它还将培养具有高度期望技能的 HQP，以促进加拿大在古生物学、埋藏学、动物考古学和考古学等领域的卓越研究，或