The fragmentation of genomic DNA was investigated by 0.8% agarose gel electrophoresis. High molecular weight, genomic DNA can be seen in muscle extracts up to day 3 postmortem (a) before fragmentation leads to band smearing.

<p>This process occurs much later in skin, where high molecular weight genomic DNA is not observed after 32 days postmortem (b).</p

Mitochondrial DNA primers.

<p>Mitochondrial DNA primers.</p

Post mortem single-base damages.

a<p>Total number of bases cloned and sequenced per sample.</p>b<p>Total number of observed damage events per sample.</p>c<p>Number of damage events per nucleotide position.</p><p>Post mortem single-base damages.</p

Hematoxylin-Eosin (a, b) stained section of muscle tissue from the lower limb at Day 3 (a) and Day 208 (b).

<p>The muscle fibres (+) after 208 days are shrunken but morphologically unchanged. The nuclei (circled in blue) of the muscle cells are clearly stained until the end of the experiment. The epimysium (§) shows minimal changes.</p

The change of the peak height ratio of the shorter D19 locus (sum of the peak heights of alleles 13 and 14) relative to the longer D18 locus (peak height of homozygous allele 15) within the DNA profiles of muscle and skin samples during the 322 days of salt desiccation.

<p>For both tissues, the line of best fit for the change in the peak height ratio through time is logarithmic, with lower ratios observed for skin.</p

Results of χ²-test.

<p>The number of damage events in different tissues and at different time points (skin and muscle, day 0 and day 322) is compared.TS =  transitions; TV =  transversions.</p><p>Results of χ²-test.</p

Results of SGM Plus AmpFlSTR genetic typing.

<p>Results of SGM Plus AmpFlSTR genetic typing.</p

Natron composition.

<p>Natron composition.</p

Post mortem base substitutions by type.

<p>Post mortem base substitutions by type.</p

Nuclear DNA primers.

<p>Nuclear DNA primers.</p