Jean-Pierre Mégnin (1828-1905)
Definition
French military veterinarian and arachnologist who published 'La Faune des Cadavres' in 1894, the first systematic description of the eight-wave succession model on human remains.
- Nationality
- French
- Profession
- Military veterinarian and arachnologist
- Key publication
- La Faune des Cadavres (1894)
- Contribution
- First systematic eight-wave succession model
Common questions
Why is Megnin's eight-wave model still cited today?+
It was the first attempt to formalise insect succession on a corpse into ordered stages, so it remains the historical reference point even though modern casework relies on region- and climate-specific succession data rather than his original waves.
How does Megnin's approach differ from modern PMI estimation?+
Megnin ranked the sequential arrival of insect groups on a body, while contemporary methods usually combine species-specific development rates and accumulated degree days to estimate a numeric post-mortem interval.
Related terms
- La Faune Des Cadavres
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