Taphonomic Context and Model Applicability
Definition
A proposed model adjustment whose validity must be demonstrated for its variables and application. Documented soil, heat, water or scavenging observations do not themselves supply a numerical multiplier or prove that an unsuitable TBS equation can be repaired.
Related terms
- Adipocere
- A waxy, soap-like substance formed by the saponification of body fat under warm, moist, anaerobic conditions. Composed chiefly of saturated fatty acids...
- Cadaver Decomposition Island (CDI)
- A soil zone influenced by decomposition inputs. Chemical and microbial measurements may differ from nearby controls, sometimes for years. Specificity, spatial extent...
- Calcination
- Severe heat-related loss of organic material and changes to bone mineral. White appearance is not a precise thermometer. Some pre-existing trauma may...
- Carnivore Gnaw Marks
- Animal-related surface pits, punctures, scores or furrows and associated tissue or bone loss. Morphology and distribution should be evaluated together. A U/V...
- Dermestid Gnaw Marks
- Bone lesions associated with dermestid activity may include larval pupation chambers. Experimental studies demonstrate this possibility on human bone, but shape, size...
- Float-Sink Transition
- A change in buoyancy during aquatic deposition. Body characteristics, gas, clothing, attachments, entanglement, water conditions and depth can affect whether and when...
- Maggot Mass Temperature
- Temperature within a larval aggregation, which can exceed nearby air temperature. Differences depend on aggregation size and location rather than a universal...
- Necrobiome
- The ecological community associated with decomposition. Microbial studies distinguish internal and external communities and use specific sampling and analytical models. Their potential...
- Saponification
- Formation of fatty-acid salts, classically through alkaline hydrolysis of fats. Adipocere formation also involves triglyceride hydrolysis and transformations such as hydrogenation; these...