forensic botany and its application by noor malik. uos

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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH WHO IS MOST BENEFICIENT AND MOST MERCIFUL 1

NOOR UD DIN Msc Botany 4ht semester :

NOOR UD DIN Msc Botany 4 ht semester 5/17/2011 2 Prepared by Malik Noor

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3 THE FORENSIC BOTANY & ITS APPLICATION 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor

Forensic BOTANY :

Forensic BOTANY Prepared by: NOOR UD DIN Roll.no : 12 Msc Botany 4 th semester ( EVE)

The most respected & Honourable Dr KAFEEL AHMAD:

The Forensic Botany The Forensic Botany The most respected & Honourable Dr KAFEEL AHMAD

Forensic Science:

Forensic Science A study and application of science to law provide accurate, thorough info to decision makers in our criminal justice system. Comes from Latin “ forensis ” = forum, a public place where, in Roman times, senators and others debated and held judicial proceedings. …the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system The use of science and technology to investigate and establish facts in criminal or civil courts of law Prepared by Malik Noor 6 5/17/2011

Forensic Science:

Forensic: “…a characteristic of evidence that satisfies its suitability for admission as fact and its ability to persuade based upon proof (or high statistical confidence).” The aim of forensic science is: “…to demonstrate how digital evidence can be used to reconstruct a crime or incident, identify suspects, apprehend the guilty, defend the innocent, and understand criminal motivations.” 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor Forensic Science

History and Development of Forensic Science:

History and Development of Forensic Science Earliest Record 3rd century China Yi Yu Ji “A collection of criminal cases” Woman murdered her husband and burned the body and claimed accidental fire Coroner noticed no ashes in mouth of deceased and performed experiment on pigs Chinese were first to recognize the potential of fingerprints as means of identification 5/17/2011 8 Prepared by Malik Noor

Hans Gross (1847-1915):

Hans Gross (1847-1915) 9 Austrian prosecutor and judge 1893 Published Criminal Investigation Described the application of scientific disciplines to the field of criminal investigation Discussed the benefits of science (microscopy, chemistry, physics, zoology, botany, geology and fingerprinting) in criminal investigations 10 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor

Forensic botany:

Forensic botany Forensic botany is the scientific use of plant materials to help solve crimes. It is a relatively new, but interesting, field in the study of botany. Forensic botany is the study of plant life in order to gain information regarding possible crimes. Forensic botany is the application of botany to law enforcement. 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 10 The Forensic Botany

Forensic Botany:

Forensic Botany Forensic botany is similar in its role to that of DNA fingerprinting. Plant material found at the scene of a crime can often be successfully linked to the perpetrator of the crime or can help to rule out a suspect in a crime. Just as fingerprints are unique to individuals, plant material is often unique to certain ecological areas or plant species . Prepared by Malik Noor 11 5/17/2011 The Forensic Botany

forensic botany:

5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 12 Forensic Botany is the use of plants or plant matter to assist investigators with solving a crime Trace botanical evidence can help a forensic investigator link objects or suspects to a crime scene. Plant remains can be found almost anywhere and they offer a variety of evidence. forensic botany The Forensic Botany

forensic botany:

forensic botany Examples of plantlife or plant remains that can be used as evidence are pieces of wood, seeds, fruits, leaves, twigs, plant hairs, pollen, spores and even algae cells. Plants allow forensic botanists to identify things such as what season the crime took place or geographical location, whether or not a body has been moved following a murder, and how long a body has been buried if it was buried. These forms of physical evidence can be sometimes traced to an individual suspect Prepared by Malik Noor 13 5/17/2011 The Forensic Botany

Famous Forensic Botanists:

Famous Forensic Botanists 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 14 Patricia Wiltshire: Britain’s foremost Forensic Botanist Specializes in Palynology , the study of pollen Employs Palynology to identify crime scenes by irrigating the nasal passages of victims and matching the pollen and particles found to a certain geographical location Image: examples of the diversity of pollen morphology (structure), which is helpful in identifying different types of pollen and where they may have come from. http://www.botany.org/planttalkingpoints/images/Forensic3.jpg

The Value of Botanical Evidence:

The Value of Botanical Evidence What Botanical Evidence Can Do: determine the circumstances and cause of death estimate time frames in relation to the death establish where the death could have taken place determine if there were multiple crime scenes prove or disprove an alibi place a suspect at the scene of a crime 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 15 Image: Outdoor crime scene investigation. http://www.tampabay.com/multimedia/archive/00073/flo_animal062809_a_73886c.jpg

The Value of Botanical Evidence:

Advantages of Botanical Evidence : plant evidence is long-lasting, which means that plant parts to remain identifiable for a very long periods of time plant cells are made of cellulose, a complex carbohydrate compound cellulose is nearly indestructible and does not decay quickly pollen grains and spores also have walls that are made of different decay resistant materials 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 16 Image: Plant cells are very durable and long-lasting, which enables botanical evidence to be well preserved as other types of evidence decay and disappear. http://faculty.kutztown.edu/friehauf/science_outreach/elodia_cells_001.jpg The Value of Botanical Evidence

The Value of Botanical Evidence:

Reconstruction : the botanical evidence can be used in conjunction with other pieces of physical evidence and used to determine a sequence of events to help solve the crime. 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 17 http://api.ning.com/files/zQ2pP5BJqrWhqnuaNRSHkY0PTDvaQ96PP1IV1-UCASV4YZE0Dimq0*J*xj76k*wqbxFvqVeKEJ0fDXkaN0mllUkIyoteK3Yo/ist2_2981671printsorcluesvectorized.jpg The Value of Botanical Evidence

The Future of Forensic Botany:

The Future of Forensic Botany The use of forensic botany in investigations has indeed been extremely rewarding as far as offering more information about a particular set of circumstances, and is being relied upon more and more. At the current stage, forensic botany is a valuable tool that deserves wider use. Fortunately, forensic botanists such as Patricia Wiltshire have been devising new uses for plant science in solving crimes. 5/17/2011 18 Prepared by Malik Noor http://www.risesmart.com/risesmart/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/hot-jobs-forensic-scientist.jpg

How Plants Help to Solve Crimes :

How Plants Help to Solve Crimes Forensic botany is complex. Plant remains are found in a wide variety of places. The ecological and molecular restraints of various plant species allow a forensic botanist to narrow down the possibilities of where a crime was committed, when it was committed and who committed the crime. 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 19

The Application of Forensic Botany to Criminal Cases:

The Application of Forensic Botany to Criminal Cases 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor 20 Discovering how long a body has been lying in a particular spot: If the ground around where the body was found was shown to have been disrupted, investigators can correctly assume that any new growth began approximately when the body was buried. The forensic investigator can use dendrochronology (the counting of the rings in a root) to determine how long the body was there. A date, within a year of burial, can be acquired. Image: Annual ring growth and interrupting factors in a tree root. http://www.msstate.edu/dept/geosciences/CT/TIG/WEBSITES/LOCAL/Summer2003/Harman_Pamela/tree%20rings.JPG

Forensic Botany in Criminal Proceedings:

Forensic Botany in Criminal Proceedings Botanical Evidence is held to the same standards as all other pieces of scientific evidence: the methods and test results found in the analysis of the given evidence must be approved and accepted by the scientific community evidence can also be admitted through the permission of the trail judge, but it must still be obtained through a reliable foundation of expertise and relevance to the field of forensic science Botanical evidence is only acceptable in a court of law and useful to a case if it can be clearly established that the relation between the evidence and its area of origin is natural and not coincidental 5/17/2011 21 Prepared by Malik Noor

The Application of Forensic Botany:

Forensic botany has been used to prove a suspect was at a crime scene, identify illegal products from endangered species, solve crimes by matching crime scene evidence to suspects. Forensic botanists look to plant life in order to gain information regarding possible crimes. Leaves , seeds and pollen found either on a body or at the scene of a crime can offer valuable information regarding the timescales of a crime and also if the body has been moved between two or more different locations. The Application of Forensic Botany 22

The Application of Forensic Botany:

It is used for estimating how long a person has been dead when the person may have died ascertaining if a body had been moved after death was disturbed in any way establishing whether a person had died outdoors and in a particular location determining what a person had eaten prior to death identifying plant poisons detecting secret graves of missing people . The Application of Forensic Botany 23

The Application of Forensic Botany:

Forensic Botanists apply the principles and techniques of their discipline to the analysis of plant evidence. They also utilize an understanding of other biology disciplines, including Ecology Molecular biology Palynology Limnology Plant systematics Taxonomy Den- dochronology , among others. The Application of Forensic Botany 24

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Forensic Botanists are able to use various clues from plant material to determine events and timeframes surrounding unexplained deaths and crimes. For example, a suspect might have twigs in his or her hair or a murder victim might grasp a bit of plant material. Forensic Botanists may be able to identify such plant samples and determine where a crime was committed if the samples originated elsewhere. The Application of Forensic Botany 25

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In another example, a body might rest on plant material that is crushed and decayed. By analyzing the decayed material, Forensic Botanists may be able to determine the length of time the body rested in that spot. These scientists can also examine trees or the roots of plants that grow on a clandestine grave, count the growth rings, and estimate when the grave was dug. The Application of Forensic Botany 26

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Many criminal cases are resorting to techniques used in the scientific world to accumulate evidence against the accused. The use of science to answer questions relevant to the legal system is termed Forensics. The Application of Forensic Botany 27

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The area of forensic botany is a relatively new and untouched specialty. The first criminal investigation that included the analysis of plant material wasn't until 1935 and today, few investigators rely on the science of plant material, although it is becoming more common. The Application of Forensic Botany 28

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Apply molecular techniques to forensic botany to provide a more reliable analysis. In 1993, two research scientists discovered a technique to fingerprint a genome without knowing any specifics of that particular genome. The Application of Forensic Botany 29

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This technique, titled amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP), combines the previous techniques of restriction digests and PCR. Using gel electrophoresis, a genomic fingerprint is created and comparisons can then be made between species and individuals. We are applying AFLP techniques to determine if cultivars and individual plants of the same species have different fingerprints. Providing that they do, this technique can then be applied to connect suspects to the crime scene and/or victims. The Application of Forensic Botany 30

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The application of plant science to the resolution of legal questions. The basis of forensic science is The Exchange Principle , now called Contact Traces , first articulated by Edmond Locard in 1910: A criminal always leaves something at the crime scene, or takes something away ( Marriner , 1991 ). Very often, trace botanical evidence can link an object or suspect to the scene of a crime, as well as rule out a suspect or support an alibi . The Application of Forensic Botany 31

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The application of plant science to the resolution of legal questions. A plant's anatomy and its ecological requirements are in some cases species-specific; correct interpretation of botanical evidence can give vital information about a crime scene or the whereabouts of a suspect or victim ( Lane et al. , 1990 ). The Application of Forensic Botany 32

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The use of botanical evidence in legal investigations is relatively recent. The first botanical testimony to be heard in a North American court concerned the analysis of the wood grain of the ladder used in the kidnapping of Chalers Lindbergh Jr., and led to the conviction of Bruno Hauptmann for the crime in 1935 . The Application of Forensic Botany 33

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Forensic botany is the study of plants, and plant matter, as they pertain to criminal death investigations. Forensic botany can provide clues as to when a person died by giving investigators a time frame in which approximations of time of death can adhere to. Having an estimation of estimated time elapsed since death can allow investigators to include and exclude suspects, determine whether or not the case is of current forensic interest and give information on how the person died. The Application of Forensic Botany 34

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Palynology can also provide information about whether a body has been moved since death and where the body has been recently. This data can then be used to support or contradict witnesses and, possibly, accused's statements, or perhaps lead investigators to the actual scene of the crime, as opposed to the place where the body was found. The use of forensic botany in investigations has proved to be extremely rewarding as far as offering more information about a particular set of circumstances, it also has certain limitations that must be respected. The study of plants as they relate to forensic issues is being relied upon more and more as it consistently demonstrates itself to be beneficial to death investigations. The Application of Forensic Botany 35

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One of the most practical uses of forensic botany is to learn how long a body has been laying in a particular spot ( Kerley , 1978). Dendrochronology , the counting of the rings in a root, has been a popular choice for determining when a body was buried. If, for example, the ground around where the body was found has been shown to have been disrupted when the body was buried, it can be assumed that any new growth began approximately when the body was buried ( Quatrehomme et al., 1997). By counting the number of rings in the new growth, a date, within a year, can be acquired ( Vanezis et al., 1978). The Application of Forensic Botany 36

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Along similar lines, if a plant that is in place when the body is buried is damaged, "it is, in fact, possible to count the number of annual rings that have been formed since the injury" ( Quatrehomme et al., 1997) thereby giving investigators an estimated elapsed time since the burial. Finally, by studying the length and size of roots found in a burial site, an investigator can rely upon independent data that approximates average root growth for the same plant and apply it to the roots found at the grave ( Quatrehomme et al., 1997). The Application of Forensic Botany 37

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In essence, a pre-determined mathematical constant describing the rate of growth for a particular root would be entered, along with the length of the actual root, into a formula, resulting in the number of days, weeks or years that the root has been growing, which then relates the number of days, weeks or years that the body has been present at that particular site. The advantages of studying roots in a forensic sense can thus focus an investigation as to approximately when a body was first placed in a certain grave, saving investigators' time and allowing them to turn to other important tasks. The Application of Forensic Botany 38

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Forensic botany involves the use of botany in the detection and prosecution of crime and other legal issues. It is a relatively new science, using modern technology. However, botanical evidence has been used in legal cases at least since the 1930s when wood fiber evidence was used to help convict Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. The Application of Forensic Botany 39

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Forensic botanists use their knowledge about 1: Pollen 2 : Tree rings 3 : water ecology 4: plant identification 5 : Molecular biology 6: plant species 7: Ecology to collect samples and use science to answer questions about the case. The Application of Forensic Botany 40

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Forensic botany helps to determine time of death locate gravesites corroborate testimony statements reveal the scene of a crime. The Application of Forensic Botany 41

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Forensic botany is a new and growing field. Many criminal investigators, medical examiners, and attorneys are unaware of its usefulness because they have had little exposure to botany in their educational experiences. The Application of Forensic Botany 42

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Most forensic botanists act as private consultants in crime matters. To be accepted to testify in a court case, forensic botanists must demonstrate that they are qualified to be expert witnesses. Their suitability for such testimony is judged by their experiences and educational credentials. 43 The Application of Forensic Botany

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Closeup of a recent research subject. After only a few weeks in the Tennessee summer, the skull is completely bare & many vertebrae are exposed. The rib cage & pelvis are covered with dried, leathery skin, but the soft tissues beneath are gone, consumed by insects & bacteria. 5/17/2011 44 Prepared by Malik Noor

THE E N D:

THE E N D Forensic Science The Forensic Botany The Forensic Botany

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THANKS 5/17/2011 Prepared by Malik Noor The Forensic Botany 46 The Forensic Botany