The utility of blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) evidence from burned human remains.

Burning of human remains is a common method to conceal or destroy evidence associated with homicides and illegal activities. However, data regarding blow fly colonization of burned remains are scarce, with all previously published empirical studies focusing only on non-human animals. It is critically important to obtain basic data on blow fly colonization patterns of burned human remains as such evidence may represent the only feasible method for PMI estimation in cases of burning.

Not by the Book: Observations of Delayed Oviposition and Re-Colonization of Human Remains by Blow Flies.

Postmortem interval estimations can be complicated by the inter-individual variation present in human decomposition. Forensic entomologists may especially face challenges interpreting arthropod evidence in scenarios that are not "by the book", or that vary in unexpected ways. Therefore, it is important to report instances where blow fly colonization does not align with expected soft tissue decomposition as blow fly larvae are often used to produce a time of colonization (TOC) estimation to infer a minimum PMI.

Body Mass Index (BMI) Impacts Soil Chemical and Microbial Response to Human Decomposition.

Microorganisms are key decomposers of vertebrate mortalities, breaking down body tissues and impacting decomposition progress. During human decomposition, both extrinsic environmental factors and intrinsic cadaver-related factors have the potential to impact microbial decomposers either directly or indirectly via altered physical or chemical conditions. While extrinsic factors (e.