The persistence of human DNA in soil following surface decomposition

Though recent decades have seen a marked increase in research concerning the impact of human decomposition on the grave soil environment, the fate of human DNA in grave soil has been relatively understudied. With the purpose of supplementing the growing body of literature in forensic soil taphonomy, this study assessed the relative persistence of human DNA in soil over the course of decomposition. Endpoint PCR was used to assess the presence or absence of human nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, while qPCR was used to evaluate the quantity of human DNA recovered from the soil beneath four cadavers at the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Facility (ARF).

Source: Science and Justice - May 19, 2017 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Alexandra L. Emmons, Jennifer M. DeBruyn, Amy Z. Mundorff, Kelly L. Cobaugh, Graciela S. Cabana Source Type: research