Abstract

Forensic mycology is a modern concept that has been used to explain the fungi succession and development of cadavers. It could lead to application in forensic medicine in determining presence of fungal strains which would, in turn, help in establishing the time of death. Since the corpse is an ample source of organic material, there has been an increase in research into the function of fungi in post-mortem decomposition. While some mentions of the participation of fungi in the post-mortem phase have been published in older literature and studies, they have rarely relied on the form or species of fungi that are present at each phase of decomposition. Apart from that, isolating fungal species in specified geographical areas will facilitate in the characterization and classification of region-specific microorganisms found on corpses under diverse growth condition. In this study, animal corpse and its specific organs were used to study the development of fungal strains developed in succession after specific intervals of time and stages of decomposition. The strains obtained were identified by lactophenol staining as Rhizopus sps., Mucor, Aspergillus sps. and Alternaria sps.

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