Thanatomicrobiome
Definition
The community of microorganisms that colonise a body after death, arising primarily from gut bacteria that breach the intestinal wall and spread to tissues and body cavities. Its composition changes in a time-ordered succession that researchers use to model post-mortem interval.
- Primary source
- Gut bacteria
- Mechanism
- Breach of the intestinal wall after death
- Key property
- Time-ordered microbial succession
- Application
- Post-mortem interval estimation
Common questions
How does it differ from an epinecrotic community?+
The thanatomicrobiome is internal, largely gut-derived flora spreading through tissues, while epinecrotic communities are external microbes colonising skin and the surrounding substrate; both shift predictably after death.
What limits its reliability for PMI estimation?+
Antibiotic use, underlying disease, and environmental temperature or burial conditions all alter succession timing, so it works best alongside entomological or other physical PMI evidence rather than alone.
Related terms
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- Cadaver Decomposition Island (CDI)
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- Metagenomics
- The direct sequencing of all DNA extracted from an environmental sample, bypassing the need to culture individual organisms. It produces a community-wide...
- Post-Mortem Interval (PMI)
- The time elapsed between death and discovery or examination of remains. PMI estimation draws on multiple disciplines: soft tissue decomposition stage, insect...
- Soil Microbiome
- The total community of microorganisms inhabiting a soil sample. Each location has a characteristic baseline community shaped by climate, vegetation, and soil...