Microbe “Death Clock” Could Predict When A Person Died

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Analysing the microbes decomposing a corpse may enable forensic investigators to determine the time of death with more accuracy than ever before. Fer Gregory/Shutterstock

Although gangsters and pirates may claim that dead men tell no tales, criminal investigators are extremely adept at extracting information from the tiny organisms that live on corpses, revealing all sorts of valuable information about the time and cause of death. However, a new study into the microbes that break down deceased bodies may have now revealed a more accurate method of ascertaining these details, with bacteria and fungi acting like a "death clock," enabling precise predictions about how long a person has been dead.