This dissertation examines the effect of altitude on decomposition in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
In this study, researchers examined the estimation of postmortem interval (PMI), a critical component of medicolegal death investigation, in high altitudes, assessing the rate, pattern, and trajectory of decomposition among human donors in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado. The results demonstrated a disparity in rate and pattern of human decomposition between the high-altitude cohort and the Total Body Score model (TBS) model, and the inadequacy of accumulated degree days (ADD) alone to predict PMI, demonstrating the need for environment-specific model building in human taphonomy research. The study sought to (1) test the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the TBS model in a high-altitude environment to assess suitability of application in the estimation of local PMI; (2) test seven atmospheric variables to assess the utility of integrating atmospheric data beyond ADD into PMI estimation; (3) establish the rate and pattern of human decomposition, isolate and describe phasic patterns of soft tissue change throughout the trajectory of decomposition, and (4) develop a region specific bioecological profile with an emphasis on the integration of human behavior. Neither the qualitative or quantitative aspects of the TBS model tested well at high-altitude and are therefore not recommended for application within the study environment. The qualitative changes presented in the TBS model were not observed among the high-altitude cohort. A forensic bioecological profile was developed using empirically derived patterns of scavenger behavior, census and land use data, extant ethnographic data, and forensic case study. Analysis demonstrated that the data sources were cyclically informative and sufficient to develop an early phase foundational model that will benefit from future interdisciplinary research.