How Climate Change Could Complicate the Job of a Murder-solving Fly

Guest: Christine Picard, Associate Professor in the Biology Department and Forensic & Investigative Sciences Program, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. A blue-green insect with a killer sense of smell has long been a homicide detective’s best friend. Blow flies are a bit larger than your typical housefly, but they’re more particular when it comes to food. They find dead bodies within minutes and their larvae can help forensic scientists accurately estimate time of death. But rising temperatures in the U.S. are causing different species of blow flies to migrate to new areas – which could complicate future murder investigations.