Carrion Succession
Definition
The predictable, roughly sequential replacement of insect communities on a decomposing body, driven by changing chemical substrate. Not a strict relay with hard boundaries, but a shifting assemblage where community composition changes systematically over time.
- First formal description
- Jean Pierre Megnin, 1894, identified eight waves of insect succession on decomposing bodies.
- Modern standard
- Contemporary forensic entomology compresses Megnin's eight waves into four main stages.
- Driver of succession
- Insect community replacement is driven by changing chemical substrate of the decomposing body.
Common questions
What is carrion succession and why does it matter in forensics?+
Carrion succession is the predictable sequence of insect communities that colonise a decomposing body from death to skeletonisation. Because different insect species arrive at different stages of decomposition, the insects present on a body are themselves evidence of how long decomposition has been running.
How many waves or stages does carrion succession have?+
The original 1894 description by Jean Pierre Megnin identified eight waves. Modern forensic texts typically compress this into four stages.
Is carrion succession a strict, predictable relay or more fluid?+
It is a shifting assemblage rather than a rigid relay. Different insect species arrive in a roughly sequential order as the chemical substrate changes, but community composition drifts gradually over time without hard boundaries between stages.
Related terms
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Explained in these topics
- Forensic Entomology: Insects of Forensic Importance and ApplicationsPredictable sequence of insect communities that visit a corpse from death to skeletonisation. Originally described by Jean Pierre Megnin (1894) as eight waves;...
- Insect Succession Waves on a CorpseThe predictable, roughly sequential replacement of insect communities on a decomposing body, driven by changing chemical substrate. Not a strict relay with har...
- Introduction and Scope of Forensic EntomologyThe predictable sequence of different insect species that colonise a decomposing body over time. Each wave arrives as conditions change, and the stage of succe...