Naked Piglet
Starting on October 7 we began taking notes and observing the bodies of decomposing piglets. We had 13 piglets we are observing decompose. We had one “naked” and one clothed on cement, one “naked” and one clothed on the grass. Two piglets were buried, also one with clothes and one without. Three piglets “naked” on the grass, one with a gunshot wound, one with a knife wound and one that has been burned. Two of the piglets were suspended by a pole in the ground, also one clothed and one not. And finally two piglets have been buried in boxes, one with and one without clothes that have been observed at the end of the project. We all had multiple theories on which piglets would decompose faster compared to others. For the first theory, the question
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asks, “Which decomposes faster, a piglet that is its natural state, one that is burnt, one that is buried, and one that is buried in a wooden box.” Asher explains he believes a piglet that is buried is more likely to decompose faster because it is in the ground and the ground will break down the parts of the body quicker by taking the nutrients from it, and underground bugs will also eat the carcass and decompose it faster. The piglet that is burnt is probably the next quickest to decay, he says, because the burns will open to infection and will attract insects in the wounds. The burning of the body will also give the decaying process a head start. The piglet that is in its natural state is likely to decompose next because it is the open elements as compared to the piglet in the wooden box. The box will likely protect the piglet form insects and infection and preserve the body longer than the others. I (Parker Yard) believed that a piglet in its natural state will decompose faster because it will be more exposed to the air and will be in contact with the ground and both of those factors will speed up the decomposition process. I don’t think that a burnt piglet will decompose as fast due to the charring of the piglet and I think that a piglet buried in a wooden box will decompose the slowest because, it is not exposed to the air and doesn’t have the soil to help it decompose. Tanner believed that of scenarios the piglet that was buried naked would be the first to decompose, the next to go would be the one its natural state, then the one that is burnt would be the next to go, and finally the one that is buried in a wooden box. Alexa says that a piglet that is burnt will probably decompose fastest, then the piglet buried will decompose next, and the piglet buried in a box will decompose last. We found over the course of the last few weeks that the piglet that died of natural causes decomposed the fastest, then the burned piglet. Both started to decompose within the first week. Next was the buried piglet that took much longer than the others to decompose. We have yet to see the piglets that are buried in boxes.
The next theory we were to construct was, “Which decomposes faster, a “naked” piglet or one that is clothed?” Asher says that piglet that is naked will decompose quicker because it is exposed to the elements more and is in direct contact with the ground which will decompose the body faster.
And above ground animals will likely eat the carcass and that will spread infection to decompose the body faster. A clothed piglet will not decay as quickly because the clothes will keep the insects out a little longer than a naked piglet. The clothes will also help keep the elements and birds off a little longer and therefor will not decompose as quickly. Tanner believes that the piglet with the clothes on would decompose faster. He thinks this because it is a hot day out then the piglet will get even hotter being in the sun with the clothes on then it would if it was just naked. I (Parker Yard) believe that a naked pig will decompose faster than a clothed pig because of the fact that it is more exposed to the air and ground as opposed to a clothed pig that will be covered up and not be in contact with the ground and that will not have as much air exposure. The piglet marked one, the clothed one on cement, was the first to decompose. The followed by #3, clothed on soil, then #4, naked on soil, and finally #2, the naked on …show more content…
cement.
The next theory asks, “Does a piglet suspended in the air decompose at a different rate than one left on the ground or cement?” Asher says the body will likely decompose slower if suspended rather than as being on the ground because the body is not in contact with the ground for the nutrients to decompose as quickly. It will also be much harder for insects to get to the body to help the decomposition. The piglet will decompose slower if on the cement opposed to being on soil because the cement will block the ground from collecting the nutrients of the body so it will lay there for a longer period of time than if on soil. Tanners say he believes that the piglets, either on the cement or the soil will decompose at the same rate. And I (Parker Yard) believe that the pig on the soil will decompose the quickest and the pig on the cement would be next. And the one suspended would be the last to decompose. We found that the piglets left on the ground decomposed at a much faster rate than the piglets that were suspended. It took about three weeks for the suspended piglets to decompose, where it only took a about two weeks for the piglets on the ground to decompose.
The fourth theory asks, “Does a piglet compose faster if it is on dirt/grass versus being on cement?” And Asher says that the body will likely decompose faster on the dirt/grass because the body can seep into the ground for the nutrients of the body to be harvested and the insects can get to the body quicker to eat it and speed up the of the decomposition. If the body is on the cement it will likely just sit and “cook” in the sun. Tanner believes that the piglet that is left on the cement would decompose faster than the one on the dirt because if it is a hot day then the cement is going to heat up and make the piglet a lot more hot rather than being in the grass. I (Parker Yard) think that the piglet on the soil will decompose faster than the piglet on the cement because the soil will help extract the nutrients from the body. We observed that the piglets left on the soil as opposed to left on cement, did decompose faster, but not by much. The fifth theory asks, “Which decomposes faster, a piglet that has a gunshot wound, knife wound, or dies of natural causes?” Tanner believes that the piglet that has the gunshot wound in it would decompose faster than the other 2 because there will be a much bigger hole for insects and also diseases, the next fastest to decompose he suggests is the one with the knife wound because it to has an open wound for insects to get into. Asher says a piglet with a knife will likely decompose faster because of the large wound in the body, the wound will allow more infection and insects into the body and that will cause the body to decompose from the inside out which shall make the decomposition process much quicker. The body with the gunshot wound will probably decay the next fastest because it to has open wounds but the wound of a gunshot are smaller than that of an open knife wound. The gunshot wounds will like the knife wound be open to infection but not as much infection will reside because of the small bullet. He states that the piglet that has died of natural causes will decompose last because it has no open wounds to allow infection in the body as quickly and over time the body will then open to infection. I (Parker Yard) think the piglet with a gunshot wound will decompose faster because it has a hole through it where things can enter the body and eat away at its core faster than it would one with other circumstances. A piglet with a knife wound will decompose faster than one of natural cause because of an open flesh wound and more exposure and easier entry into the body for bugs but it won’t decompose as fast as the one with a hole in it. The one that died of natural causes won’t decompose as fast because it doesn’t have any open wounds that would aid something in entering the body to help decompose it. We saw that the piglet that had died of natural causes was the first to decompose, then the piglet that was shot, followed by the piglet that had been stabbed.
They next theory question is, “What is the succession of insects on a suspended piglet?” Asher said that the succession of insects would likely be very low because the insects will not have an easy way to access the body. They would have to be carried by birds or flying insects to lay larvae. I (Parker Yard) think the succession of insects on a suspended piglet isn’t as high as one on the ground, because the suspended one will only get the help of flying insects in the decomposing process. Tanner says that at first there will only be a few flies but then after a couple weeks or so there will be a large succession of insects in and on the suspended piglets. The succession of bugs, we found, was very low on either body. The suspended piglet that was naked had some flies we saw a spider on it but nothing else, and we noticed no bugs on the clothed suspended piglet.
The seventh theory asks, “What is the succession of insects on a decomposing piglet on the ground and cement?” Tanner says that the piglet on the ground will have more insects on it then the one on the cement because the one on the cement will not give bugs and easier access as opposed to on the ground where worms can get into it.
Asher also thinks that the piglet on the ground will have a larger succession of bugs and easier access for bugs as opposed to the piglet on the cement. I (Parker Yard) also think the succession of insects will be large due to the fact that the piglet will be on the ground and a more diverse range of insects will be able to access the piglet easier. Both of the piglets that were naked had a higher succession of bugs, both on the ground and on the soil. As where both clothed piglets had a smaller succession of bugs opposed to the naked piglets.
The eighth theory says, “What is the effect of a decomposing piglet on the soil underneath?” I (Parker Yard) believe that the decomposing bodies will make the soil more fertile and will help with the growth of plants in that area. Tanner thinks that the bodies will have a bad effect on the surrounding area and possibly kill the grass. Asher also agrees with me (Parker Yard) that the decomposing bodies will help the surrounding vegetation. About a week into the experiment we noticed that some of the grass was dying around a few of the piglets, around two or so weeks more grass started to die around the
piglets.
The ninth and finally theory question asks, “Do flies find decomposing flesh with smell or sight?” I (Parker Yard) believe that flies find decomposing flesh with smell because almost anything that sinks have flies all over it. Asher thinks that the flies likely use their sense of smell to find food. Tanner thinks that flies find decomposing flesh by smell by using their feelers and nostrils to locate food. We all right in our assumption that flies find food by smell.
In conclusion we were all mostly right in our theories about what would happen to each of the pigs. We did notice some of our theories were slightly off, Asher and I thought that the grass underneath the bodies would grow, not die, as it did. This experiment did help us understand and see for ourselves what happens to a body in certain conditions.
asks, “Which decomposes faster, a piglet that is its natural state, one that is burnt, one that is buried, and one that is buried in a wooden box.” Asher explains he believes a piglet that is buried is more likely to decompose faster because it is in the ground and the ground will break down the parts of the body quicker by taking the nutrients from it, and underground bugs will also eat the carcass and decompose it faster. The piglet that is burnt is probably the next quickest to decay, he says, because the burns will open to infection and will attract insects in the wounds. The burning of the body will also give the decaying process a head start. The piglet that is in its natural state is likely to decompose next because it is the open elements as compared to the piglet in the wooden box. The box will likely protect the piglet form insects and infection and preserve the body longer than the others. I (Parker Yard) believed that a piglet in its natural state will decompose faster because it will be more exposed to the air and will be in contact with the ground and both of those factors will speed up the decomposition process. I don’t think that a burnt piglet will decompose as fast due to the charring of the piglet and I think that a piglet buried in a wooden box will decompose the slowest because, it is not exposed to the air and doesn’t have the soil to help it decompose. Tanner believed that of scenarios the piglet that was buried naked would be the first to decompose, the next to go would be the one its natural state, then the one that is burnt would be the next to go, and finally the one that is buried in a wooden box. Alexa says that a piglet that is burnt will probably decompose fastest, then the piglet buried will decompose next, and the piglet buried in a box will decompose last. We found over the course of the last few weeks that the piglet that died of natural causes decomposed the fastest, then the burned piglet. Both started to decompose within the first week. Next was the buried piglet that took much longer than the others to decompose. We have yet to see the piglets that are buried in boxes.
The next theory we were to construct was, “Which decomposes faster, a “naked” piglet or one that is clothed?” Asher says that piglet that is naked will decompose quicker because it is exposed to the elements more and is in direct contact with the ground which will decompose the body faster.
And above ground animals will likely eat the carcass and that will spread infection to decompose the body faster. A clothed piglet will not decay as quickly because the clothes will keep the insects out a little longer than a naked piglet. The clothes will also help keep the elements and birds off a little longer and therefor will not decompose as quickly. Tanner believes that the piglet with the clothes on would decompose faster. He thinks this because it is a hot day out then the piglet will get even hotter being in the sun with the clothes on then it would if it was just naked. I (Parker Yard) believe that a naked pig will decompose faster than a clothed pig because of the fact that it is more exposed to the air and ground as opposed to a clothed pig that will be covered up and not be in contact with the ground and that will not have as much air exposure. The piglet marked one, the clothed one on cement, was the first to decompose. The followed by #3, clothed on soil, then #4, naked on soil, and finally #2, the naked on …show more content…
cement.
The next theory asks, “Does a piglet suspended in the air decompose at a different rate than one left on the ground or cement?” Asher says the body will likely decompose slower if suspended rather than as being on the ground because the body is not in contact with the ground for the nutrients to decompose as quickly. It will also be much harder for insects to get to the body to help the decomposition. The piglet will decompose slower if on the cement opposed to being on soil because the cement will block the ground from collecting the nutrients of the body so it will lay there for a longer period of time than if on soil. Tanners say he believes that the piglets, either on the cement or the soil will decompose at the same rate. And I (Parker Yard) believe that the pig on the soil will decompose the quickest and the pig on the cement would be next. And the one suspended would be the last to decompose. We found that the piglets left on the ground decomposed at a much faster rate than the piglets that were suspended. It took about three weeks for the suspended piglets to decompose, where it only took a about two weeks for the piglets on the ground to decompose.
The fourth theory asks, “Does a piglet compose faster if it is on dirt/grass versus being on cement?” And Asher says that the body will likely decompose faster on the dirt/grass because the body can seep into the ground for the nutrients of the body to be harvested and the insects can get to the body quicker to eat it and speed up the of the decomposition. If the body is on the cement it will likely just sit and “cook” in the sun. Tanner believes that the piglet that is left on the cement would decompose faster than the one on the dirt because if it is a hot day then the cement is going to heat up and make the piglet a lot more hot rather than being in the grass. I (Parker Yard) think that the piglet on the soil will decompose faster than the piglet on the cement because the soil will help extract the nutrients from the body. We observed that the piglets left on the soil as opposed to left on cement, did decompose faster, but not by much. The fifth theory asks, “Which decomposes faster, a piglet that has a gunshot wound, knife wound, or dies of natural causes?” Tanner believes that the piglet that has the gunshot wound in it would decompose faster than the other 2 because there will be a much bigger hole for insects and also diseases, the next fastest to decompose he suggests is the one with the knife wound because it to has an open wound for insects to get into. Asher says a piglet with a knife will likely decompose faster because of the large wound in the body, the wound will allow more infection and insects into the body and that will cause the body to decompose from the inside out which shall make the decomposition process much quicker. The body with the gunshot wound will probably decay the next fastest because it to has open wounds but the wound of a gunshot are smaller than that of an open knife wound. The gunshot wounds will like the knife wound be open to infection but not as much infection will reside because of the small bullet. He states that the piglet that has died of natural causes will decompose last because it has no open wounds to allow infection in the body as quickly and over time the body will then open to infection. I (Parker Yard) think the piglet with a gunshot wound will decompose faster because it has a hole through it where things can enter the body and eat away at its core faster than it would one with other circumstances. A piglet with a knife wound will decompose faster than one of natural cause because of an open flesh wound and more exposure and easier entry into the body for bugs but it won’t decompose as fast as the one with a hole in it. The one that died of natural causes won’t decompose as fast because it doesn’t have any open wounds that would aid something in entering the body to help decompose it. We saw that the piglet that had died of natural causes was the first to decompose, then the piglet that was shot, followed by the piglet that had been stabbed.
They next theory question is, “What is the succession of insects on a suspended piglet?” Asher said that the succession of insects would likely be very low because the insects will not have an easy way to access the body. They would have to be carried by birds or flying insects to lay larvae. I (Parker Yard) think the succession of insects on a suspended piglet isn’t as high as one on the ground, because the suspended one will only get the help of flying insects in the decomposing process. Tanner says that at first there will only be a few flies but then after a couple weeks or so there will be a large succession of insects in and on the suspended piglets. The succession of bugs, we found, was very low on either body. The suspended piglet that was naked had some flies we saw a spider on it but nothing else, and we noticed no bugs on the clothed suspended piglet.
The seventh theory asks, “What is the succession of insects on a decomposing piglet on the ground and cement?” Tanner says that the piglet on the ground will have more insects on it then the one on the cement because the one on the cement will not give bugs and easier access as opposed to on the ground where worms can get into it.
Asher also thinks that the piglet on the ground will have a larger succession of bugs and easier access for bugs as opposed to the piglet on the cement. I (Parker Yard) also think the succession of insects will be large due to the fact that the piglet will be on the ground and a more diverse range of insects will be able to access the piglet easier. Both of the piglets that were naked had a higher succession of bugs, both on the ground and on the soil. As where both clothed piglets had a smaller succession of bugs opposed to the naked piglets.
The eighth theory says, “What is the effect of a decomposing piglet on the soil underneath?” I (Parker Yard) believe that the decomposing bodies will make the soil more fertile and will help with the growth of plants in that area. Tanner thinks that the bodies will have a bad effect on the surrounding area and possibly kill the grass. Asher also agrees with me (Parker Yard) that the decomposing bodies will help the surrounding vegetation. About a week into the experiment we noticed that some of the grass was dying around a few of the piglets, around two or so weeks more grass started to die around the
piglets.
The ninth and finally theory question asks, “Do flies find decomposing flesh with smell or sight?” I (Parker Yard) believe that flies find decomposing flesh with smell because almost anything that sinks have flies all over it. Asher thinks that the flies likely use their sense of smell to find food. Tanner thinks that flies find decomposing flesh by smell by using their feelers and nostrils to locate food. We all right in our assumption that flies find food by smell.
In conclusion we were all mostly right in our theories about what would happen to each of the pigs. We did notice some of our theories were slightly off, Asher and I thought that the grass underneath the bodies would grow, not die, as it did. This experiment did help us understand and see for ourselves what happens to a body in certain conditions.