Epilithic / Epixylous Colonisation
Definition
Growth of organisms on rock or stone surfaces (epilithic) or on dead wood (epixylous). In forensic contexts, colonisation of bone surfaces by microorganisms, algae, mosses, and lichens falls into these categories.
- Epilithic
- Growth on rock or stone surfaces
- Epixylous
- Growth on dead wood
- Forensic context
- Microorganism, algae, moss, lichen growth on bone
Common questions
How can epilithic or epixylous-style colonisation on bone help estimate postmortem interval?+
Lichens, mosses, and algae colonise exposed surfaces at documented rates influenced by species, climate, and orientation, so the extent and type of colonisation on skeletal remains can be compared against local growth-rate reference data to bracket a minimum exposure time.
What limits the reliability of colonisation-based PMI estimates?+
Growth rates vary widely with microclimate, shading, moisture, and substrate, so estimates from colonisation are typically broad and used alongside other PMI indicators rather than as a standalone precise measure.
Related terms
- Biological Soil Crust (Biocrust)
- A community of cyanobacteria, algae, mosses, fungi, and lichens that colonises bare soil surfaces and forms a thin coherent mat. Relevant to...
- Crustose Lichen
- A lichen growth form in which the thallus grows flat against and into the substrate (bone, stone, wood) and cannot be removed...
- Lichenometry
- The use of lichen thallus diameter to estimate the minimum age of a surface. Based on the known or measured radial growth...
- Succession
- The predictable sequence of different insect species colonising remains as decomposition progresses. Early stages attract blow flies; later stages attract beetles, moths,...
- Thallus
- The body of a lichen, consisting of fungal hyphae housing algal or cyanobacterial cells. The thallus diameter or area is the measurement...