Forensic botany
Is the application of plant species to crime scene analysis for use in legal cases
Botanical evidence can help answer the following options:
- Where?
- When?
- Who?
- What was eaten before death?
- Was the body moved?
- PMI
PMI (Post Mortem Interval)
The time elapsed between a person’s death and when the body was discovered.
Hauptmann Case
Hauptmann was convicted of killing and kidnapping Charles Lindbergh’s son. This was the first time that forensic botany evidence was accept as legal evidence suiting a trial.
Annual rings are made of:
Xylem cells
Spring growth rings are:
Lighter than Summer growth rings.
Assemblage
are groups of plants usually dominated by one species in an area.
Determining where a person drowned
By comparing the number and proportion of algae and diatoms in a drowned person’s lungs and body tissues, you can determine where a person drowned.
Plant cells can:
easily withstand digestion.
Dr. Jane Bock
Botanist who created a lab manual to assist in identifying the plant cells in a person’s last meal.
A new gravesite can be recognized by:
- A mound of soil
- an absence of vegetation
- different plants in gravesite than the dominant plants in the area
Habitat Sample
10 different types of plants from the area’s assemblage.
Storage of Botanical Evidence
should be placed in paper or can be stored in a plant press.
Forensic Palynology
is the study of pollen and spore evidence to help solve criminal cases.
They have different functions but similar characteristics.
Pistil
Includes stigma, style, and ovary. Is the female reproductive part of the flower.
Stamen
includes anther and flament. It’s the male reproductive part of a flower.
Spores
- Are asexually reproductive.
- are much smaller and more difficult to identify than pollen grains.
- spores are reproductive cells produced by algae, fungi, and non-seed plants.
Pollen
- Is a reproductive structure containing male gametes that are produced by seed plants.
- Pollen from wind-pollinated plants are common
Gymnosperms
- cone-bearing plants
- produce pollen
- a plant with “naked” seeds that are not enclosed in a protective organ (fruit).
Angiosperms
- flowering plants
- produce pollen
- produces seeds within a fruit
Pollen Fingerprint
The number and type of pollen grains found in geographic area at a particular time of year.
Pollen grain
A reproductive structure that contains male gametes of seed plants.
Pollination
The transfer of pollen from the male part to the female part of a seed plant.
Datum Point
Is a reference point from an immovable object.
