Stage Assessment
Definition
A description under a stated recording scheme, not a universal date estimate. A stage label summarises observed condition under a stated recording scheme. Different regions of remains can show different preservation and decomposition states.
- Context
- Descriptive observations
For example, recording one region as dry under a stated scheme does not prove that every region has the same condition or age.
Rapid exposure, scavenging, drying or preservation can change the relationship between appearance and elapsed time.
Related terms
- Accumulated Degree Hours/days (ADH/ADD)
- Temperature-time accumulation above a defined model threshold, with degree-hours and degree-days requiring correct conversion. In a fictional linear model with a base...
- Autolysis
- Breakdown of cells and tissues involving their own enzymes. Different tissues and environmental conditions can produce different appearances. Autolysis and microbial decomposition...
- Cadaver Decomposition Island
- The local environment influenced by decomposition inputs, often assessed through soil observations. Decomposition products can alter the surrounding soil or substrate, including...
- Cadaveric Decomposition Island (CDI)
- An area of substrate influenced by decomposition products, not unique proof of a human body. Decomposition products can alter the surrounding soil...
- Larval Aggregation
- A group of larvae whose local feeding conditions and heat can differ from surrounding air. Species and developmental cohorts may overlap within...
- Post-Mortem Interval (PMI)
- Elapsed time between death and a specified later reference event. State that endpoint explicitly when comparing methods. Insect age, time since discovery...
- Putrefaction
- Microbial decomposition of tissues, variable with biological and environmental conditions. Microbial activity contributes to postmortem tissue changes and products that can influence...
- Succession Wave
- A descriptive grouping of community change, not a universal ordered arrival schedule. Succession describes changes in organisms associated with a resource. Temperature,...