The Natural History of Human Decomposition
When the human body is allowed to undergo normal decomposition, then the remains play host to a suite of insects, animals and fungi as well as the bacterial interactions from within and external to the body. In other words, we may die but life continues and transitions. This talk will explore the range of creatures that utilize human bodies after death and how forensic anthropologists and other forensic scientists use these to estimate the time since death. Alison Galloway was born in the United Kingdom but came to California in 1960 and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. She attended UC Berkeley and then the University of Arizona, Tucson, where she completed her doctorate. After teaching for two years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she returned to California as an Assistant Professor at UC Santa Cruz where she has been since. Her research interests involve what happens to bone during life, around the time of death and what happens to bodies after people die. She also is a board-certified forensic anthropologist who provides services to counties across California.
Sponsored by Good Times, Allterra Solar, Sentinel Printers, Miller Maxfield Inc, and 2nd Nature.
Show time: 7:00 PM
Tickets: $15 Gen, $30 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.santacruzmuseum.org and Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
