Faunal Assemblage
Definition
The complete community of arthropod species present at a body at a given time. Comparing an observed assemblage against reference succession data allows stage assignment and, with care, a PMI window estimate.
- Field
- Forensic entomology, PMI estimation
- Definition scope
- Complete arthropod community on a body at a given time
- Used with
- Reference succession data for stage assignment
- Output
- Contributes to a PMI window estimate
Common questions
Why does an examiner need the whole assemblage rather than just the dominant species?+
Different species within the same assemblage arrive and peak at different points in decomposition, so the combination present, including species that are declining or just beginning to colonise, narrows the likely time window far more precisely than identifying only the most abundant insect.
What factors can make an observed assemblage misleading for PMI purposes?+
Geographic region, season, temperature, whether the body was indoors, buried, or wrapped, and any insecticide exposure can all shift which species are present or absent compared to the reference succession data the assemblage is being compared against, so local, season-matched reference data is essential.
Related terms
- Carrion Succession
- The predictable, roughly sequential replacement of insect communities on a decomposing body, driven by changing chemical substrate. Not a strict relay with...
- Primary Coloniser
- A species that exploits the body directly, typically arriving at or very soon after death, before decomposition has substantially modified the resource....
- Secondary Coloniser
- A species that requires a chemical or physical change produced by primary colonisers before it can exploit the resource: cheese skippers attracted...
- Successional PMI Window
- The time range implied by knowing that the body is in a particular succession stage. Broader than a development-based estimate but extends...
- Tertiary Coloniser
- A predator or parasite that feeds on primary or secondary colonisers rather than directly on the body. Their presence on a corpse...