ABSTRACT
Carrion provides a very rich, but ephemeral resource which is utilized by a progression of insects and other arthropods, from fresh until dry remains. When the sequence of insects colonizing carrion is known for a given area and set of circumstances, an analysis of the arthropod fauna on a carcass can be used to estimate the length of their tenure on the remains and hence infer an estimate of time of colonization as related to the time of death, or post-mortem interval, given that certain assumptions are met. Insect colonization of carrion is dependent on many factors, but one of the most important is the geographic region or ecozone in which the remains are found. The predictable sequence of insect succession on a body has long been recognized as an excellent method to estimate the minimum time of insect colonization and hence infer time since death.
