HISTOTAPHONOMIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH BONE DIAGENESIS IN POST MORTEM PORCINES

ABSTRACT The estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) remains a critical challenge in forensic science, particularly in cases where soft tissues are absent. This study examined the histotaphonomic changes in porcine bone tissue as a model for human decomposition. A six-month-old pig (Sus scrofa) weighing 35kg, was used as the experimental animal model due to its anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. Bone tissues were ectomized at different intervals ranging from 2hours to 30 days postmortem study duration and processed using routine histology by first fixed with bouin’s fluid and later transferred to 70% alcohol after 6hrs, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). This study results revealed that early postmortem intervals (2–12 hours) maintained intact trabecular and compact structures with preserved marrow. Progressive marrow depletion and cellular smudging were observed between 18–72 hours, while advanced stages (14–30 days) significant degenerative changes were evident, including trabecular fragmentation, irregular bone margins, collapse of connective tissue, and complete loss of marrow elements. These results confirm that bone histology undergoes predictable and progressive diagenetic changes, offering valuable markers for PMI estimation. This study validates porcine bone as a reliable proxy for human remains and highlights the utility of histological analysis as a complementary tool in forensic science analysis involving human identification that requires biological profiling and disaster victim recovery and identification.