# Dr. Christiane Baigent – How do bodies decompose at high altitude? Colorado Mesa University's FIRS body farm

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/anthrobiology-podcast-263302/dr-christiane-baigent-how-do-bodies-decompose-at-high-altitude-colorado-mesa-university-s-firs-body-farm
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/anthrobiology-podcast-263302/dr-christiane-baigent-how-do-bodies-decompose-at-high-altitude-colorado-mesa-university-s-firs-body-farm.md
Podcast: [AnthroBiology Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/anthrobiology-podcast-263302)
Published: 2026-07-29T14:36:00+00:00
Episode link: https://anthrobiologypodcast.libsyn.com/dr-christiane-baigent-how-do-bodies-decompose-at-high-altitude-colorado-mesa-universitys-firs-body-farm
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Duration seconds: 4516

## Resource

Dr. Christiane Baigent of Colorado Mesa University runs the Forensic Investigation Resource Station (FIRS), which is the highest body farm in the world. We talk about how bodies decompose at high altitude and how it can differ from decomp at lower altitude. Dr. Baigent also shares some of the behind-the-scenes of running a body farm. Recommendations Dr. Baigent's faculty profile at Colorado Mesa University Forensic Investigation Resource Station (FIRS) website American Academy of Forensic Sciences website Baigent, C. (2024). The effect of altitude on decomposition: Toward an understanding of the postmortem interval in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado [Doctoral dissertation, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale]. OpenSIUC. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/2198/ Hansen, E.S., Baigent, C., Reck, S.I. and Connor, M. (2018). Bioelectrical Impedance as a Technique for Estimating Postmortem Interval . J Forensic Sci, 63: 1186-1190. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13695 Bailey, C. A., Lennartz, A. N., Klemm, M. M., Matheson, C. A., Unger, C. A., & George, R. L. (2025). Assessing Patterns of Moisture Content in Decomposing, Desiccated, and Mummified Tissue in Western North Carolina . Forensic Sciences , 5 (4), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5040073 Connor, M., Baigent, C. and Hansen, E.S. (2019), Measuring Desiccation Using Qualitative Changes: A Step Toward Determining Regional Decomposition Sequences . J Forensic Sci, 64: 1004-1011. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14003 Baigent C, Agan C, Connor M, Hansen ES. Autopsy as a form of evisceration: Implications for decomposition rate, pattern, and estimation of postmortem interval . Forensic Sci Int. 2020 Jan;306:110068. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.110068. Epub 2019 Nov 19. PMID: 31816485. Garcia,…

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