Skeletonization

state of a dead organism after undergoing decomposition where the last vestiges of soft tissues decay or dry

After death the body of an animal decomposes. This is a process that happens in several stages. Skeletonization is the last of these stages.In skeletonization, the last pieces of soft tissue disappear, or they dry up, and the skeleton becomes visible. By the end of the skeletonization process, all soft tissue will have been eliminated, leaving only disarticulated bones.[1] In a temperate climate, it takes about three weeks to several years for a body to decay to a skeleton. In warm climate, this process is faster, in cold ones it is slower.

Parly skeeletized pig, seven weeks after death

References

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  1. Tersigni-Tarrant, MariaTeresa A.; Shirley, Natalie R. (2012). Forensic Anthropology: An Introduction. CRC Press. p. 351. ISBN 9781439816462. Retrieved March 11, 2014.