Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 5 1 distinguish between and explain how pollen and spore evidence can be used in crime investigation.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Forensic palynology is a specialized field that studies pollen and spore evidence.
Since both pollen and spores have resistant structures, they at times can help determine such things as whether a body was moved, a crime’s location, whether it occurred in a city or in the country, or in which season it may have occurred.
Forensic palynologists know each pollen-producing plant provides a pollen fingerprint—a specific type of pollen grain. They also know there will be a certain # of grains found in a specific geographical area during particular times of the year.
– Non-seed plants ferns, mosses, liverworts, and horsetails
– Seed plants Gymnosperms - cycads, ginkgoes, and conifers like an
evergreen Angiosperms - flowering plants like roses
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of a plant to the female part of a seed plant. – Self-pollination, in flowering plants, involves
transfer of pollen from an anther to the stigma within the same flower, as in pea plants.
– Cross-pollination (illustrated above) involves two distinct plants.
Types of PollinationPollen of self-pollinating plants is generally of
lower value in forensic studies because it is rarely encountered.
Pollen can be carried by:– Wind– Animals– Water
Pollen carried by wind may be less effective for determining direct links between individuals and places because of the long distances over which it can be carried.
During an investigation, control samples must be collected as well as evidence samples.
Samples must be collected wearing gloves and with clean tools (such as brushes and cellophane tape)
Samples must then be placed in sterile containers, which then must be sealed and labeled with care. – Paper bags used for ‘wet’ collection items to allow to dry and to
prevent degradation
Sampling instruments must be cleaned after each use, or new ones must be used.
Collected evidence must be secured, and the chain of custody must be maintained.
To identify pollen and spores, specialists can use a variety of electronic machines:– a compound light microscope, a scanning electronic
microscope, reference collections that may consist of photos and illustrations or perhaps even actual dried specimens arranged systematically (herbariums).
Pollen and spore evidence that has been collected, analyzed, and interpreted can be presented in court.
These “fingerprints” can be used to confirm certain aspects of a crime.
Spores & Pollen @ Crime Scenes
A short list of cases show many ways pollen is now being used in the courtroom: ForgeryProduction and distribution of illegal drugsAssaultsRobberyRapesHomicideGenocideTerrorismArsonHit and run crimesCounterfeiting of currencyIdentifying the origin of fake prescription drugs such as Viagra