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Just when you thought
Las Vegas, Miami, and New York were enough – here comes C.S.I.:
Maggots! Join our crime scene investigation unit as they cleverly
eat their way through the decaying flesh of victims of foul
play! Watch as they race to be first on the scene of the crime!
Thrill at their bloated, white bodies as they gorge themselves
on the recently deceased!
Ok, eeewww…
Still, it's kinda
cool when you think about it: it isn't flies gathering evidence,
but rather flies being used to determine the time of death.
The technique is
pretty simple (if a little on the disgusting side): when flies
lay their eggs in decaying matter, the eggs hatch into maggots.
The maggots start to feed on the decaying matter, and then
the investigators find them attached to the body. If you can
figure out how old the maggots are, the person has likely
been dead at least that long. Various flies grow at different
rates so investigators can now grind them up to retrieve the
DNA and then know what type of fly is on the body. This then
gives an indication as to how long the victim has been dead.
Very disgusting,
yes?
But so useful! Who
knew maggots were such sleuths? Elementary, my dear Watson…
Wanna
learn more?
Glossary
term:
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