Comments on: Discovery team introduction: Lauri Thompson, Anthropologist and Archaeologist http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/k12forensics/2006/04/07/discovery-team-introduction-lauri-thompson-anthropologist-and-archaeologist/ The Boneyard Science discovery team talks about forensics, why it is interesting, and what students want to know as they explore the field. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:38:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Lauri http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/k12forensics/2006/04/07/discovery-team-introduction-lauri-thompson-anthropologist-and-archaeologist/#comment-8 Lauri Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:45:24 +0000 http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/k12forensics/2006/04/07/discovery-team-introduction-lauri-thompson-anthropologist-and-archaeologist/#comment-8 Hi Carol, I would say that the individual cells die as soon as their O2 supply is eliminated. At that point the process of decomposition would begin. Taphonomy comes from the Latin word "taphos" meaning "death". Taphonomy is the study of what happens to bones after death and is concerned with such issues as how they were buried and preserved in matrix (dirt or earth). A taphonomist studies phenomena such as sedimentation, preservation properties of bone and other objects, and disturbance factors such as carnivores and rodents. The focus of taphonomy is the processes after death not the cellular causes of death. The article you pointed to presents more of a biological issue than a taphonomic issue. Best, Lauri Hi Carol,

I would say that the individual cells die as soon as their O2 supply is eliminated. At that point the process of decomposition would begin. Taphonomy comes from the Latin word “taphos” meaning “death”. Taphonomy is the study of what happens to bones after death and is concerned with such issues as how they were buried and preserved in matrix (dirt or earth). A taphonomist studies phenomena such as sedimentation, preservation properties of bone and other objects, and disturbance factors such as carnivores and rodents. The focus of taphonomy is the processes after death not the cellular causes of death. The article you pointed to presents more of a biological issue than a taphonomic issue.

Best,
Lauri

]]> By: Carol Minton Morris http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/k12forensics/2006/04/07/discovery-team-introduction-lauri-thompson-anthropologist-and-archaeologist/#comment-7 Carol Minton Morris Tue, 11 Apr 2006 15:58:55 +0000 http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/k12forensics/2006/04/07/discovery-team-introduction-lauri-thompson-anthropologist-and-archaeologist/#comment-7 Lauri, Looking forward to what Elizabeth's class finds out about "taphonomy." FYI I found this in NSDL from the <i>Directory of Open Access Journals</i> that may or may not be related to what happens after death. This is about pre-mortem cell information about "programmed cell death" that eliminates damaged cells so that the overall organism might be stronger: <a href="http://www.kinetoplastids.com/content/2/1/4" rel="nofollow">Life after death: are trypanosomatids programmed to die for the survival of their partners?"</a> How fast do individual cells die when the overall organism dies? is it all at once? Lauri,
Looking forward to what Elizabeth’s class finds out about “taphonomy.”

FYI I found this in NSDL from the Directory of Open Access Journals that may or may not be related to what happens after death. This is about pre-mortem cell information about “programmed cell death” that eliminates damaged cells so that the overall organism might be stronger:

Life after death: are trypanosomatids programmed to die for the survival of their partners?”

How fast do individual cells die when the overall organism dies? is it all at once?

]]>