LABOULBENIALES - Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos

Figure XII: Stages of the „rotting‟ of different cadavers. Top left: fresh stage. Top middle, right: earlydecomposition. Bottom left: late decomposition. Bottom middle, right: dry stage. Pictures byAgentschap voor Natuur en Bos (2008) and Danny Haelewaters (2010).1.2.2.1. The fresh stageThe fresh stage begins immediately after the cessation of the heart. Thecadaver looks completely normal (cfr. Figure XII, top left); there‟s not yet any(bacterial) decomposition. During this stage, which lasts one to two days, thefirst flies and staphylinids start to encroach upon the cadaver. These beetlesare saprophagous, feeding on decaying and dead organic matter.Oxygen present in the body is quickly depleted by the aerobic organismsfound within. This creates the ideal environment for the anaerobic organisms,transforming carbohydrates, lipids and proteins to yield organic acids andgases. This process of microbial proliferation is referred to as putrefication andleads to the second stage.1.2.2.2. The bloat stageThis second stage is characterisized by bacterial decomposition, thus gaseswithin the cadaver are formed giving the cadaver a swollen appearance anda strong scent. As the pressure of the gases within the cadaver increases,fluids are forced to escape from natural orifices such as the nose, mouth andanus. This pressure may also cause rupturing of the skin. Fly eggs and younglarvae (maggots) are present. Maggot feeding, together with theaccumulation of gases, will lead to post-mortem ruptures of the skin, furtherallowing fluids to escape into the surrounding environment. Also the hair willdetach from the skin, due to maggot activity. The first carrion beetles arecoming to the cadaver: silphids, histerids and large staphylinids.1.2.2.3. The early decompositionThis stage is characterized by great mass losses, resulting from the feeding ofthe maggots and the purging of fluids into the surrounding environment, theso-called cadaver decomposition island (CDI) (CARTER et al., 2007). Thenumber of maggots is enormous: the whole cadaver can be filled withmaggots (cfr. Figure XII, top middle, right).P a g e | 47