COMPARATIVE TAPHONOMY OF BURIED VERSUS EXPOSED VERTEBRATE REMAINS

The majority of vertebrate remains are lost to the fossil record because of decay and scavenging processes at the ground surface. The likelihood of fossilization increases with burial. Burial can prevent scavengers from gaining access to the body. However, it is not a foolproof method of protection. Three pig carcasses were buried several feet down in prairie or forest edge settings. Two of the carcasses were unearthed within days of burial. The third remained buried for around four years. It was unearthed and compared to the decay rates of other pig carcasses that went unburied in the same locations. Some keratinous tissue remained, but all soft tissue was gone. Surface carcasses may show mummification of soft tissues and retention of hair in those mummified tissues, but no mummified tissue remains. The bones of the buried carcass showed much slower decay rates than those of the surface carcasses.