How long does it take a human body to decompose completely?
How long does it take a human body to decompose completely, leaving no biological traces? For detailing purposes, the human body is male, average human height and weight, and is decomposing on top of the earth in an environment similar to that of the outskirts of Las Vegas.
This is purely a hypothetical question that I find interesting.
4 Responses to “How long does it take a human body to decompose completely?”
Leave a Reply
adrian p on March 26th, 2009
There is a research facility somewhere in the States where they leave bodies in various states, ie above ground, above ground wrapped in plastic, below ground etc and try different conditions, i would imagine there must be a lot of variables that have an influence
vorlando90 on March 26th, 2009
wenever i finish eating it
Tony White on March 26th, 2009
This will depend upon circumstances. Bog corpses in Britain and Denmark are still reasonably intact after over 1000 years. This is because their bodies were in acid ground conditions with little oxygen and hardly any bacteria. In most cases however their bones have completely dissolved leaving just a ‘bag’ of skin.
In the circumstances you mention, the local rats will soon get to work, together with Calliphorid flies, whose maggots feed on the flesh. The flesh could be gone within two months of warm weather. The bones could take over a century to completely disappear.
zorro_foxygirl on March 26th, 2009
depends on the environment and the state of the body- he can be decomposed, preserved, mummified, turned into a soap-like substance, fossilized etc!