The decomposition of human corpses. The topic is unsavory to say the least. But it remains important to learn. And researchers have just made an important discovery in this field.
Death is an integral part of life. Just like the decomposition of corpses. Because although the topic may seem a bit disgusting, the decomposition of dead organic matter is what produces essential nutrients for ecosystems. The one who… sustains life!
The same microorganisms on all human corpses
Researchers from Colorado State University (USA) became interested in this unsavory topic. It is known that the climate, climate and location of a human body affect how quickly it decomposes.
But today, in the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers report how they have discovered that no matter where a human corpse is dumped, regardless of the climate in that location, and regardless of the time of year, it contains the same twenty microorganisms – mostly bacteria and mushrooms – which throw a feast. Microorganisms that prove to be particularly rare even in dead-free environments.
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This work expands knowledge about the dynamics of ecosystems. Because the decomposer networks identified may not be specific to human corpses. This knowledge could therefore help to learn more about carbon and nutrient fluxes in the environment. Practical applications may be found in the field of agriculture.
A helping hand for forensic medicine
But forensic medicine could also be advanced by the discovery. The researchers say that the twenty types of microorganisms they have identified always follow the same process. And they are carried to the corpses in question by insects, which feed on them at certain times after death.