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The postmortem microbiome has recently moved to the forefront of forensic research, and many studies have focused on the idea that predictable fluctuations in decomposer communities could be used as a "microbial clock" to determine time of death. Commonly, the oral microbiome has been evaluated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the changes in community composition throughout decomposition. We sampled the hard palates of three human donors over time to identify the prominent members of the microbiome. This study combined 16S rRNA sequencing with whole metagenomic (MetaG) and metatranscriptomic (MetaT) sequencing and culturing methodologies in an attempt to broaden current knowledge about how these postmortem microbiota change and might function throughout decomposition. In all four methods, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla, but their distributions were insufficient in separating samples based on decomposition stage or time or by donor. Better resolution was observed at the level of genus, with fresher samples from decomposition clustering away from others via principal components analysis (PCA) of the sequencing data. Key genera in driving these trends included Rothia ; Lysinibacillus , Lactobacillus , Staphylococcus , and other Firmicutes; and yeasts including Candida and Yarrowia. The majority of cultures (89%) matched to sequences obtained from at least one of the sequencing methods, while 11 cultures were found in the same samples using all three methods. These included Acinetobacter gerneri , Comamonas terrigena , Morganella morganii , Proteus vulgaris , Pseudomonas koreensis , Pseudomonas moraviensis , Raoutella terrigena , Stenotrophomonas maltophilia , Bacillus cereus , Kurthia zopfii , and Lactobacillus paracasei. MetaG and MetaT data also revealed many novel insects as likely visitors to the donors in this study, opening the door to investigating them as potential vectors of microorganisms during decomposition. The presence of cultures at specific time points in decomposition, including samples for which we have MetaT data, will yield future studies tying specific taxa to metabolic pathways involved in decomposition. Overall, we have shown that our 16S rRNA sequencing results from the human hard palate are consistent with other studies and have expanded on the range of taxa shown to be associated with human decomposition, including eukaryotes, based on additional sequencing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Szeklers are a biologically and archaeologically understudied Hungarian cultural group who have occupied the Carpathian Basin since at least A.D. 1000. For most of their history, they were an autonomous group given special nontaxed status in exchange for their service to the Kingdom of Hungary as cavalrymen and defenders of the eastern front. Excavation of a church in Harghita County, Romania, has uncovered the remains of two adult males in a brick‐lined crypt beneath the pulpit of the church. The partial name 'FERE' was preserved in nails on the coffin lid of one of the interments. The Ferenczy family was the noble family for the area. Macroscopic observation of the skeletal remains showed several non‐normal skeletal characteristics. As a suite of traits, the characteristics suggest long‐term and frequent horseback riding per the clinical and archaeological literature. Skeletal indicators of horsemanship combined with the known responsibilities of Szekler noblemen support an interpretation of horse riding behaviour. This case study is important because it contributes to the growing understanding about skeletal modifications related to horseback riding and adds to the limited biological and archaeological literature regarding Szekler individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Identification of Missing Norwegian World War II Soldiers, in Karelia Russia," by I. Morild and colleagues in the 2015 issue.