Taphonomy Research

Seitz V, et al. (2025) CaDAVEr: a metagenome-assembled genome Catalog of microbial Decomposers Across Vertebrate Environments. Microbiology Resource Announcements. e01323-24
Higley L, et al. (2025) Make forensic case reports required legal and scientific documents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 122: e2406456122.
Burcham Z, et al. (2024) A conserved interdomain microbial network underpins cadaver decomposition despite environmental variables. Nature Microbiology. 9:595-613.
Furuta K, et al. (2024) Volatile organic compounds produced during postmortem processes can be linked via chromatographic profiles to individual bacterial species. Journal of Chromatography A. 1728:465017.
Carter DO, et al. (2023) A synthesis of carcass decomposition studies conducted at a tropical (Aw) taphonomy facility: 2013 – 2022. Forensic Science International: Synergy. 7:100345.

Carter DO, et al. (2007) Cadaver decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Naturwissenschaften 94:12-24.
Metcalf JL, et al. (2016) Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition. Science 351:158-162.
Metcalf JL, et al. (2013) A microbial clock provides an accurate estimate of the postmortem interval in a mouse model system. eLife doi:10.7554/eLife.01104.
Carter DO, et al. (2010) Moisture can be the dominant environmental parameter governing cadaver decomposition in soil. Forensic Science International 200:60-66.
Carter DO, et al. (2008) Temperature affects microbial decomposition of cadavers (Rattus rattus) in contrasting soils. Applied Soil Ecology. 40:129-137.

Metcalf JL, et al. (2025) Microbial ecology of terrestrial carrion decomposition via multi-omics. In: Benbow ME, Tomberlin JK, Tarone AM, eds. Carrion Ecology, Evolution, and their Applications. 2nd Edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton: FL. pp. 148 – 158.
Forbes SL, Carter DO (2025) Processes and mechanisms of death and decomposition of vertebrate carrion in terrestrial ecosystems. In: Benbow ME, Tomberlin JK, Tarone AM, eds. Carrion Ecology, Evolution, and their Applications. 2nd Edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton: FL. pp. 131 – 147.
Carter DO (2020) The importance of microbial communities in the estimation of the time since death. In: Hayman J, Oxenham M, eds. Estimation of the Time Since Death: Current Research and Future Trends. Elsevier, Amsterdam. pp. 109 – 139.
Deel H, et al. (2019) Using microbiome tools for estimating postmortem interval. In: Budowle B, Schutzer S, Morse S, eds. Microbial Forensics. 3rd Edition. Elsevier, London. Pp. 171 – 191.

Carter DO, Tomberlin JK, Benbow ME, Metcalf JL, editors (2017) Forensic Microbiology. Wiley Blackwell, Chichester, United Kingdom.
Tibbett M, Carter DO, editors (2008) Soil Analysis in Forensic Taphonomy: Chemical and Biological Effects of Buried Human Remains. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

Carter DO, et al. (2026) Is the extent of decomposition consistent with other scene observations? a synthesis of 82 cases on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Proceedings of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 78th Annual Scientific Conference. In press.
Pilar ALC, et al. (2025) A decomposition scoring system for indoor death scenes. Proceedings of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 77th Annual Scientific Conference. 31:694.
Metcalf JL, et al. (2024) A decade into developing a microbiome tool for predicting the postmortem interval: where are we now and where are we going? Proceedings of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 76th Annual Scientific Conference. 30:870.
Carter DO, Carter CA, Sanger SS (2023) Ten things every court should know about decomposing remains. Proceedings of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 75th Annual Scientific Conference. 29:595.
Burcham Z, et al. (2022) Microbial dynamic of human decomposition accurately estimate postmortem interval. Proceedings of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 74th Annual Scientific Conference. 28:260.

Research