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, 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 suicide 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.
