Lividity is described as which of the following DOA indicators?

• A. Lividity
• B. Rigor mortis
• C. Mottling
• D. Postmortem lividity absent

Answer: (A)

Lividity, or livor mortis, is the pooling of blood in the dependent parts of the body after death due to gravity, causing a purplish discoloration on surfaces that were lower or in contact with the ground. This visible change is a key DOA indicator because it confirms that death has occurred and provides clues about how long since death and whether the body was moved after death. Lividity begins within a short window after death and becomes fixed as the blood settles, whereas other changes tell different stories: rigor mortis is the stiffening of the body’s muscles, not color changes; mottling isn’t the standard term used for DOA timing; and the absence of lividity can point to very recent death or movement of the body altering the pattern.