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Forensic Entomology
What is Forensic
Entomology ?
It is the interpretation of entomological
evidence to help resolve a criminal or civil
investigation
The investigation of insects and other
arthropods recovered from crime scenes
and corpses.
The use of insects that inhabit
decomposing human remains to aid legal
investigations.
Entomology is
the Study of
Insects
Insect Biology
Insects are the most diverse and abundant
forms of life on earth.
There are over a million described speciesmore than 2/3 of all known organisms
There is more total biomass of insects than
of humans.
Larva have a soft tubular body and look
like worms. Fly species larvae are
maggots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x
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Succesion
Colinisers
Anaerobic bacteria
thrive in lactic
conditions
Found in the gut
and breed freely
Blow flies
Sensitive to smell
of dead organisms
Can arrive within
minutes of dead
Attracted by
moisture and smell
of body ofifices and
open wounds
Lay eggs
Maggots hatch and
start feeding on
tissues
Burrow deeper down
Maggots pupate,
turn into flies and
the cycle starts over
The soft tissues
liquify
Blowflies
Carcass Beetles
Parasitic Wasps
Lay their
eggs in the
fly and beetle
larvae
Coffin Flies
Mites
Image:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
G3_658mAMsw
Other Factors
http://video.nationalgeographic.com
/video/player/science/health-humanbody-sci/human-body/body-farm-sci.h
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Fresh
Bloat
Decay
Post-decay
Dry (skeletal)
Fresh
Begins at death
Flies begin to
arrive
Temperature falls
to that of the
ambient
temperature.
Autolysis, the
degradation of
complex protein
and carbohydrate
molecules, occurs.
Bloat
Swells due
to gases
produced
by bacteria
Temperatur
e rise of the
corpse
Flies still
present
Decay
Gases subside,
decomposition fluids
seep from body.
Bacteria and
maggots break
through the skin.
Large maggot
masses and extreme
amounts of fluid.
Unpleasant odor
Larvae beginning to
pupate.
Corpse reduced to
about 20% of its
original mass.
Post-Decay
Carcass reduced to
hair, skin, and
bones.
Fly population
reduced and
replaced by other
arthropods.
Hide beetles are
dominant in dry
environments.
Mite and predatory
beetle populations
increase.
Dry (Skeletal)
Does not always occur especially if
corpse is in a wet region. Maggots will
stay longer and hide beetles will not
appear.
In wet environments the hide beetles are
replaced with nabid and reduviid insects.
The corpse is reduced to at least ten
percent of the original mass.
In the last stage (Skeletal Stage), only
bone and hair remain.
Putrefaction
1. GIT micro-organisms multiply, invade
and colonise the body
Putrefaction
5. Exposed skin blackens (black
putrefaction)
6. Body collapses as gas escapes
7. The internal organs loose integrity and
become liquefied
8. The integrity of the GI tract is lost and
purge fluid oozes out of the body
orifices
Putrefaction
9. Skin and hair can begin to be lost (Decay
odour at this point is very strong)
10.Cadaver starts to dry out; exposed skin
becomes leathery
11.Butyric fermentation produces a cheesy
odour
12.Remaining body parts are subject to
extensive mould growth
13.Dry decay then sets in
14.Skeletonisation.