What postmortem sign is characterized by blood pooling in the lowest parts of a deceased body?

The correct answer is identified as dependent lividity, which refers to the settling of blood in the lowest parts of a body after death due to gravity. This process begins within a few hours after death and can provide important information regarding the time and position of the body.

Dependent lividity occurs in a predictable manner, showing pronounced discoloration in areas where the blood has pooled, often leading to purple or dark blue stains. This condition can help first responders and forensic investigators determine whether a body has been moved postmortem, as the pattern of lividity will reflect the position of the body at the time of death.

In contrast, rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles that occurs after death and does not involve blood movement. Algor mortis describes the gradual cooling of the body after death, while postmortem contraction refers to the initial muscle contractions that may occur right after death but are then followed by rigor mortis. Each of these processes provides different insights regarding a deceased individual's condition but does not pertain to blood pooling in the body as dependent lividity does.