Mosses and related bryophytes can yield valuable forensic information because they occupy specific habitats, cling to clothing and objects, and preserve well. A review in Forensic Sciences Research surveyed 150 years of literature and found relatively few documented forensic uses despite clear successes, such as linking suspects in a 2001 Finland case and narrowing a search area in a 2011 Michigan investigation. The authors urge better training and closer collaboration between botanists and law enforcement to unlock the full potential of botanical evidence.
How Moss Can Help Solve Crimes: The Forensic Power of Bryophytes
Mosses and related bryophytes can yield valuable forensic information because they occupy specific habitats, cling to clothing and objects, and preserve well. A review in Forensic Sciences Research surveyed 150 years of literature and found relatively few documented forensic uses despite clear successes, such as linking suspects in a 2001 Finland case and narrowing a search area in a 2011 Michigan investigation. The authors urge better training and closer collaboration between botanists and law enforcement to unlock the full potential of botanical evidence.
12:11 PM, 11/12/2025Science
How Moss Can Help Solve Crimes: The Forensic Power of Bryophytes
You've probably walked over an overlooked crime-fighting ally: mosses and other bryophytes. Although small and inconspicuous, these mat-forming plants can provide investigators with location-specific clues, help estimate time since death, and link suspects or objects to crime scenes.
Bryophytes are valuable in forensic investigations for several reasons: they occupy diverse and often habitat-specific niches, tiny fragments readily adhere to clothing, footwear and vehicles, and they preserve well in many conditions. In many cases, a very small sample is sufficient to identify the broad bryophyte group and, in combination with habitat data, narrow the likely origin of the sample.
A recent review published in Forensic Sciences Research examined 150 years of scientific literature and found that bryophytes have been used in only a limited number of documented forensic cases worldwide, despite clear examples of practical value.
Matt von Konrat, head of botanical collections at the Field Museum in Chicago and a co-author of the review, noted that their survey revealed surprisingly few forensic uses of these plants over the past century and a half.
The review highlights several concrete applications. In multiple cases bryophyte growth rates were used to help estimate postmortem interval (the time elapsed between death and discovery). Investigators have also used bryophyte fragments recovered from suspects to link them to specific locations: for example, the paper cites a 2001 homicide in Finland where recovered bryophyte fragments helped connect suspects to the site where human remains were found.
In another high-profile example, investigators in a 2011 Michigan abduction and homicide examined dried mud on a suspect's shoe that contained Sphagnum moss together with a distinctive mix of plant species not typically found together. That unusual botanical assemblage helped authorities focus their search area for the missing infant. Although the body has not been recovered, the authors emphasize that the botanical analysis significantly narrowed the investigators' search radius.
Despite these successes, the authors argue that botanical evidence remains underused. Few law-enforcement personnel receive training in recognizing, collecting and preserving plant material for forensic analysis, and routine crime-scene procedures rarely prioritize botanical sampling.
Jenna Merkel, a co-author who completed a master's in forensic science at George Washington University during the research, described bryophytes as an overlooked but powerful source of evidence that can help link people, places and events.
The review concludes by urging greater collaboration between botanists and crime investigators, improved training for crime-scene personnel, and wider incorporation of botanical evidence into forensic workflows. With more awareness and standardized procedures, even the smallest plant fragments could provide crucial leads in criminal investigations.