Rates of Putrefaction of Dental Pulp in the Northwest Coast Environment
Duffy, JB
Graduate student and associate professor, respectively, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6.

Skinner, MF
Graduate student and associate professor, respectively, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6.

Waterfield, JD
Associate professor, Faculty of Oral Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z7.


Abstract
Cytological stability is of interest to criminal investigators in instances where remnants of soft tissue have been preserved, since such tissue can aid in the identification of human remains, helping to determine either the sex of the individual or his or her identity. This study based on seven experiments shows that, in Northwest coast outdoor environments in both summer (three experiments) and winter (three experiments), the stability of dental pulp nuclei ranges from 4 days to 2 weeks. The seventh experiment serves to describe the morphological sequence observed in nuclear putrefaction. The specimens included human and pig extracted teeth and unextracted pig teeth. Deposition of the specimens was made both on the surface and in the subsurface (30-cm depth), and the environmental variables were recorded.

Keywords:
dental pulp, forensic science, human identification, Northwest coast, odontology, pigs, putrefaction

Paper ID: JFS365911492

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Author Duffy JB, Skinner MF, Waterfield JD Title Rates of Putrefaction of Dental Pulp in the Northwest Coast Environment Symposium , Committee on