Succession Method
Definition
Estimating elapsed time from the species assemblage on the body by matching it to a local succession sequence: a known ecological progression of coloniser communities across decomposition stages.
- Field
- Postmortem interval estimation
- Basis
- Species assemblage present on the body
- Approach
- Matching assemblage to a local succession sequence
- Requirement
- Locally known coloniser progression
Common questions
How does the succession method differ from estimating PMI using larval development?+
Larval development estimates PMI precisely from the age of a single species' larvae, typically useful for the first days after death. The succession method instead looks at which combination of species is present, which extends usefulness further into decomposition but gives a broader time window rather than a precise figure.
Why must the succession sequence be locally calibrated?+
Which insect and other coloniser species arrive and in what order depends on regional climate, fauna, and season, so a sequence documented in one country or region does not transfer reliably elsewhere. Forensic entomologists rely on local baseline studies for the geographic area of the case.
Related terms
- Access Interval
- Any period after death during which insects could not reach the body, whether through concealment, refrigeration, submersion, or wrapping. The access interval...
- Colonisation
- The event when gravid female blow flies (or other pioneer species) locate the body and deposit eggs or first-instar larvae. The entomological...
- Larval Age Method
- Estimating mPMI by identifying the oldest, most developed insect stage present, staging it against a developmental timeline corrected for local temperature, and...
- Minimum PMI (Period of Insect Activity)
- The elapsed time since the first insects colonised the body. Because access may have been delayed, this is a lower bound on...
- Post-Mortem Interval (PMI)
- The time elapsed between death and discovery or examination of remains. PMI estimation draws on multiple disciplines: soft tissue decomposition stage, insect...