13/11/2025
FSR Vol.10, Iss.3 Review
Announcing a new article publication for Forensic Sciences Research, https://doi.org/10.1093/fsr/owaf026 Green Clues: Unveiling the Role of Bryophytes in Forensic Science, by Jenna Merkel, Matt von Konrat, Lloyd R Stark, Andrew Laurence, Laura Briscoe, Becky Collings, Peter Carrington, Danny Kreider, Juan Larraín, Alan Lichamer, Gary Merrill, Anton Reznicek, R Jan Stevenson, Frank W Telewski and J B Wells.
This article presents the first comprehensive review of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) as forensic evidence. Bringing together historical cases, modern applications, and a landmark case study, the paper demonstrates how bryophytes can contribute critical information in criminal investigations.
Forensic botany has traditionally focused on flowering plants and pollen, while bryophytes have received little systematic attention despite their ubiquity, persistence, and distinctive morphological features. This paper synthesizes existing knowledge and demonstrates how bryophytes can serve as trace evidence, easily attaching to shoes, clothing, or vehicles and linking suspects, victims, and crime scenes. By consolidating published accounts, news reports, and personal communications from the bryological community, the authors provide a framework for understanding how these plants can contribute to investigative practice.
The study documents a wide range of applications, including homicide and su***de investigations, missing persons cases, and post-mortem interval estimation. Among the cases presented, the paper provides the first peer-reviewed academic account of the Michigan “Baby Kate” case, in which bryophyte fragments recovered from a suspect’s shoe were analysed alongside diatoms and seed plants. This botanical evidence allowed investigators to narrow the search to highly specific wetland habitats, significantly advancing the investigation even though the remains were never recovered.
Further details about the ‘Baby Kate’ case can be found here:
https://e3.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1105591
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/field-museum-scientists-assist-in-search-for-missing-babys-body/
Bryophytes are widespread, morphologically distinctive, and resilient, with fragments that easily attach to shoes, clothing, or other surfaces. These characteristics make them particularly effective for linking suspects, victims, and locations. Despite this potential, they remain largely overlooked in forensic practice.
The article establishes a scholarly foundation for the role of bryophytes in forensic botany. For researchers, it identifies critical gaps in methodology and training. For practitioners and science communicators, it demonstrates how an underutilized plant group can provide significant insights in investigative contexts.
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